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░ ██ ██ Artist: Explorer ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Shout in the Fog █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-02-01 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Thrash Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Iron Shield Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Speed Metal is a genre IÆve always believed was █
█ closely related to Thrash Metal as both sound █
█ similar but not completely identical. Why? Well █
█ for starters both are fast paced genres with █
█ fierce shredding, pounding drum beats and heavy █
█ vocals. ThatÆs not to say they are 100% identical █
█ though as both have their own little things here █
█ and there which make them different. Speed Metal █
█ for example has a clearer sound then Thrash. I █
█ guess my overall conclusion on the two genres is █
█ that they are both cousins who are similar but █
█ different. █
█ Enough comparing genres now and onto this review █
█ which is ôShout in the Fogö by Italian Speed Metal █
█ band EXPLORER. On the face of it this should be a █
█ promising album as itÆs from a European band but █
█ then as perfect as it sounds, Europe does have █
█ itÆs bands who are okay but not as good as other █
█ bands who are slightly better. Is that the case █
█ here or not? Only one way to find out. █
█ EXPLORER formed in 2004 and they first started out █
█ as a cover band like most new bands do so they can █
█ pull in an audience and get interest. In 2010, █
█ they released their debut EP ôFirst Aidö with █
█ their debut album ôSober Deserve To Dieö being █
█ released two years later in 2012. After their █
█ debut album was released, they went on to tour █
█ with bands such as SABOTAGE, EXUMER and HELSTAR to █
█ name a few. █
█ This year, their sophomore album ôShout in the █
█ Fogö is released on Iron Shield Records which █
█ shall be the focus of this review. Upon first █
█ listens, it sounds very much like a Speed Metal █
█ album with some bits that sound like Thrash has █
█ been incorporated into the music but as I said at █
█ the start of this review, Speed and Thrash are in █
█ my view similar but not completely identical. █
█ That being said, Thrash is not something IÆve █
█ always been a big fan of due to reasons IÆve █
█ stated many times before. IÆve only reviewed a █
█ couple of Speed Metal albums so far and those have █
█ always had the edge as the music sounds a bit █
█ clearer so you can make out the music instead of █
█ having your ears lost in a wall of noise. The █
█ music may not be completely clear in some places █
█ on this album but you can just about make it out █
█ for the most part. █
█ You know, with each song that plays on this album, █
█ you get the impression that it should actually be █
█ classed as Thrash Metal album rather then a Speed █
█ Metal album. Why? Well for one thing it has the █
█ same savagery that a Thrash album has as most of █
█ the music is so fast, itÆs beyond insane. Although █
█ I donÆt mind that from time to time, I do actually █
█ like to be able to actually hear the music and in █
█ some places on this record, IÆm just not hearing █
█ it. █
█ I will give it points though for the savagery and █
█ the heaviness of it as well as the fast and █
█ furious guitar solos but there are a few things █
█ that put me off it. IÆll start with the vocals I █
█ guess and although you can occasionally make out █
█ the lyrics here and there, I think it could have █
█ been done a bit better as most of the time it █
█ seems to be lost in the music. █
█ The next thing that sounds a bit iffy to me is the █
█ production which is not completely horrendous by █
█ any means but you get the impression it could have █
█ been tweaked to sound a bit more clearer. █
█ So what is my overall verdict on this? IÆm afraid █
█ this is one of those okay but not brilliant albums █
█ that Europe has to offer because there are bands █
█ out there which do it a bit better as they can █
█ make better music. ôShout in the Fogö by EXPLORER █
█ is good for what it is but it could have been █
█ better as it surely had potentia,l but the full █
█ extent of that potential has not been reached. IÆm █
█ not going to say itÆs the worst European album █
█ IÆve ever heard as in some places itÆs enjoyable █
█ but overall, I was impressed with what it was but █
█ it just left me wondering how much better it could █
█ have been given a few tweaks. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Tell Me (What You Want) 4:18 ░
░ 2. Just Escape 4:43 ░
░ 3. Into the Pub (With No Exit) 3:33 ░
░ 4. Fading Away 3:49 ░
░ 5. Maggots of Evil 4:14 ░
░ 6. Hidden in the Dark 3:54 ░
░ 7. Earth Massacre 3:08 ░
░ 8. Runaway from the Cross 4:38 ░
░ 32:17 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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