Reviewed by Ian Webber

At the heart of this four-piece Swiss outfit are two members from the doom metal band, Pylon. They have been joined by two other seasoned musicians to form a group with a sound a million miles from that of Pylon. With an overarching '80s feel, you can hear the influences of Leviticus and Nazareth in this old school metal album. Littered with guest appearances, there are certainly some high points to be found. Rex Carroll from Whitecross contributes an unmistakable solo whilst X-Sinner vocalist Rex Scott wades in on a couple of tracks. The strongest element of the collection is the solid, rhythmical bass lines that are evident throughout and feature Jim La Verde of Barren Cross. I must admit I like the sound of Jordan Cutajar's voice. He has an almost maniacal delivery with a slight Scandinavian lilt. He does, however, struggle to deliver the lyrics in a convincing way as they often come across in clunky fashion. The chorus of "My Rock" is a particular example where the words jar. There are some decent chunky riffs in the intro to "New Jerusalem" but more often than not you cannot help feeling that you have heard the sounds before. "The Gods Have Failed" has a very strange mixture of sections, but it is followed by my personal favourite cut, "He Came", which features a solid guitar riff over a more melodic driven track. Production is solid throughout the recording with each instrument suitably separated, but in truth there was little on these 10 tracks to draw me back so it is unlikely to become a favourite recording.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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