| CD REVIEW Soundshok |
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Band: Soundshok Soundshok are a Scottish horde, formed at the very end of 2001, and in mean time they did release a few EP’s (MCD’s) and a live album. This first ‘real’ album was created with the assistance of Mark Daghorn (Trigger The Bloodshed, Nex, Open The Skies, Early Grave and others) and comes with a bad sound quality. The sound is too ‘flat’ and not properly mixed, I’m afraid. Yet this is the only negative remark to give. Musically this band, consisting of Andy (v) and Marc (b) Thain, Scott Holmes (g) and Stuart Lamont (d), brings an extremely powerful, technical, thrashy and brutal form of old school-oriented Metal. The songs vary from slow to mid-tempo and are heavier than most colleagues. Main influence might be (early) Sepultura, yet Soundshok aren’t a cheap copycat. The music does have clear links with both the Death Metal and the Hardcore-scene, both musically and lyrically (the lyrics are written, by the way, by Marc), and fans of, let’s say, Bolt Thrower on the one hand, and Hatebreed on the other, will also like this material. The rhythm section is very, very powerful, the few tempo-changes are refreshing, the rough vocals are really strong, and the uncompromising undertone covers the whole concept mercilessly. I don’t know every single band that is / was signed to Rising Records, yet this might be my personal favourite band on this English label! 82/100 Ivan Tibos. |