Apposite to the current situation regarding Womanby Street and the threats to South Wales' live music scene, it's only right that I focus my attention closer to home and remind everyone exactly why we need to stand up not only for our venues, but for the local bands that ply their trade within them. If you're a regular punter at FUEL rock bar and if you pay attention to local metal there is no doubt you have heard of CHAOS TRIGGER...for several years now they have been honing their craft having tried out numerous line-up changes but things are finally looking strong and steady for the Merthyr-based quintet...with performances at BLOODSTOCK festival and support slots with EXODUS under their belt, they look to hit the ground running with their brand new album "Degenerate Matter", hoping to bring Welsh metal out of the mines and into the minds of many...
We begin with "Skineaters" and as it's title suggests, it's rather chilling...at under two minutes it's essentially another case of the tried and tested intro spot, but it's effective here in the way it's very cold and machine-like; like something out of a Sci-Fi movie it drones on, heartless, non-organic...you can't help but picture yourself quietly stalking the decks of the Nostromo desperately trying to avoid being eaten by a Xenomorph while this plays...unsettling stuff, but my god it calls your bluff. When first track proper "Binary" kicks in, it really does kick in! It kicks your fucking teeth in! After a brief drum-fill the listener is subject to a battering-ram of riffs and raw power...the aggression here is such a swivel in tone it's all the more impressive with it's GOJIRA-esque brutality... (that bass!)
There's a smooth transition into "Rust" which allows the listener very little time to recover here and the continuation is on point, slightly slower in tempo but no less lacerating; there's more melody in the guitar work and over all it's a touch more methodical throughout it's near six-minute run time but where it lacks pace, with sheer weight it still pummels you. The same can be said for "Gluttonizer", with it's doom-metal inspired introduction, while "Fucking Machines" with it's djent qualities finds itself slotted somewhere between the likes of CHIMAIRA and MESHUGGAH in overall sound.
The slight thrash-metal elements of "Snakes In Suits" inject a flurry of life into the album musically, and so too on tracks like "Release The Hounds"; the increased tempo giving the record momentum going forward, before we round it all off with "Use Of Weapons"...after trolling you with a gentle opening segment, it abruptly rips into more of the ferocious, unforgiving metal we've become accustomed to over the course of these eleven songs. While musically, instrumentally the band are solid, from the drumming of Jay Roberts, to the guitar work of Paul Cremin and I've already touched upon the impressive weight of Bradley Kaler's bass playing; vocally...in reality it's, a little too monotone...front-man Ben Jones does an incredible job as a heavy/death metal vocalist don't get me wrong, he kills it, but he doesn't change his approach at all throughout this record and it get's to a point where you can't help but crave a little more diversity. Yes this is purposefully heavy but SOME clean vocals aren't going to damage your product, and will prevent tracks from coming across as one dimensional at times. For the most part this is a strong release mind you and while there is room for improvement, they have their finger firmly on the trigger and they certainly aren't firing blanks. [6]
We begin with "Skineaters" and as it's title suggests, it's rather chilling...at under two minutes it's essentially another case of the tried and tested intro spot, but it's effective here in the way it's very cold and machine-like; like something out of a Sci-Fi movie it drones on, heartless, non-organic...you can't help but picture yourself quietly stalking the decks of the Nostromo desperately trying to avoid being eaten by a Xenomorph while this plays...unsettling stuff, but my god it calls your bluff. When first track proper "Binary" kicks in, it really does kick in! It kicks your fucking teeth in! After a brief drum-fill the listener is subject to a battering-ram of riffs and raw power...the aggression here is such a swivel in tone it's all the more impressive with it's GOJIRA-esque brutality... (that bass!)
There's a smooth transition into "Rust" which allows the listener very little time to recover here and the continuation is on point, slightly slower in tempo but no less lacerating; there's more melody in the guitar work and over all it's a touch more methodical throughout it's near six-minute run time but where it lacks pace, with sheer weight it still pummels you. The same can be said for "Gluttonizer", with it's doom-metal inspired introduction, while "Fucking Machines" with it's djent qualities finds itself slotted somewhere between the likes of CHIMAIRA and MESHUGGAH in overall sound.
The slight thrash-metal elements of "Snakes In Suits" inject a flurry of life into the album musically, and so too on tracks like "Release The Hounds"; the increased tempo giving the record momentum going forward, before we round it all off with "Use Of Weapons"...after trolling you with a gentle opening segment, it abruptly rips into more of the ferocious, unforgiving metal we've become accustomed to over the course of these eleven songs. While musically, instrumentally the band are solid, from the drumming of Jay Roberts, to the guitar work of Paul Cremin and I've already touched upon the impressive weight of Bradley Kaler's bass playing; vocally...in reality it's, a little too monotone...front-man Ben Jones does an incredible job as a heavy/death metal vocalist don't get me wrong, he kills it, but he doesn't change his approach at all throughout this record and it get's to a point where you can't help but crave a little more diversity. Yes this is purposefully heavy but SOME clean vocals aren't going to damage your product, and will prevent tracks from coming across as one dimensional at times. For the most part this is a strong release mind you and while there is room for improvement, they have their finger firmly on the trigger and they certainly aren't firing blanks. [6]
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