| CD REVIEW Lycan |
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Band : Lycan I know I’m a bit late in handing in the review of this Nottinghamshire based British act’s debut full-length album (seen as how I handed over reviews of other bands’ albums on the same label – I’d gotten at the same time as this one – about a forthnight ago)…but somehow that was a fortunate thing. The thing is, the major magazines in our part of the world were also late in reviewing Dark Days, and as the review in Aardschok was particularly nasty, I decided to play the Devil’s advocate, and talk in favour of the band [which consists of singer Phil Ball, guitarists Paul Ashall & Scott Bush (the first playing leads, the latter also backing vocalist), bassist/ backing singer Conrad Simmons, and drummer Tom Pearson (who seems to be the junior in the band). The quintet, with Pearson probably the latest addition, have gigged throughout 2008 on the force of their 3-track demo Age Of Choas (which they followed up with work on a video for the track “Touch Of Chaos”, available for viewing on the band’s MySpace), and managed to get support slots for the likes of Kataklysm Aborted and Nemhain. Earlier in 2009 they entered the Nothingham based Stuck On A Name Studios and recorded the 9 tracks that were to make up their debut full-length. Having finished with that, they approached Copro, and managed to get a worldwide deal for the album] somewhat. You see, in his review the magazine’s “journalist” calls Lycan’s music (translation from Dutch) an “…average UK Thrash with sloppy guitar work and a wood-cutter drummer which slows down the band with each change of pace….Dark Days sounds like a compilation album of several demo and rehearsal recordings…influences of Sepultura and Pantera are clearly there, but Lycan doesn’t reach that level for a second…and I haven’t even mentioned the overacted shouted vocals, nor the childish lyrics…”! Beginning at the end, this review is wrong in so many ways, and I’m afraid also caracteristic for the kind of backstabbing which in these modern days is still considered music “journalism”! You see, I personally find it to be quite incorrect to say you’re not gonna mention a certain part of a band’s music, and then proceed to give your (narrow-minded) opinion about it anyway! Moreover, it’s unfair to àny band, to just listen to its music, and make up your opinions about it without even trying to find out where then band comes from (their background), or how its members conceive their own stance in an overcrowded Metal scene! As far of the so-called influences which would be obvious…Sepultura? Pantera? He cannot be serious!? I mean, am I…or anyone else for that fact…really supposed to hear thàt (no denigration towards the mentioned ones, I asure you) into THIS band’s music? What has that reviewer been smoking lately…or perhaps eating? Hasn’t that fellow even bothered to look up the band’s MySpace page (always mentioned in the biographies the label sends out with the promos), where the band itself mentions such acts as Killswitch Engage, Lamb Of God, and Chimaira as its main influences? So okay, I cannot hear any KE in Lycan’s music myself, annd haven’t enough LOG to be able to make comparisons, but with Chimaira the band kinda hits the spot, recognition-wize. If Lycan’s music indeed seems to be a little “chaotic”, the band doés call their music “Choas Thrash”, for crying out loud, and aims to put some (slightly Progressive) groove (with an added technicallity) in their music as well as a certain vibe which is to get the moshpits going where ever they appear! In my honest opinion, I feel the band’s music has all the necessary ingredients to fullfil those aims! But don’t take my words at face value, check ‘em out…by all means check ‘em out, and to do that you only need surf to myspace.com/lycanuk to find no less than 5 songs off the album (one, the aforementioned “Touch Of Evil”, in a re-mastered 2008 version). Right after singing their deal, the band teamed up with the same crew that brought forth the Touch Of Chaos video clip, this time to work on a video for the track “The Escape Plan”…but until now (several months later) still no sign of that (in fact, no news updates since the announcement for the new video in early August…luckily they hàve announced/ done some gigs in between, so we’re certain the band hasn’t split)! With the aid of Casket, the band hopes to rise to a next level in the music business, and seen the global interest in aggressive music, I don’t see why this album would not achieve that for the band…as long as it doesn’t encounter too many short-sighted, negatively thinking, self-centered idiots in the music journalism business, of course!!! 82/100 Tony. |