2007-04-29
Slovakia's Vindex have delivered a heavy/power metal album which has some very positive sides along some lesser ones, but I'll start with the most obvious weakness even before you listen to the album – the cover. This has to be one of the ugliest, less-fitting power metal covers I've seen in recent times – a bunch of ugly dead guys jumping around. Not exactly a real seller for the content.
Musically the album has a lot more going for it. Strong and crunchy sound, quite solid and melodic power/traditional metal quite reminiscent of such German stalwarts as
Accept (the vocalist even sounds like
Udo at times), a good vocal performance, and some impressive lead guitar playing. The lesser points? A clear lack of originality, which is something quite regular in this genre, and some less-than-deep lyrics.
The strongest cuts are the usually the faster ones, such as the opener and its anthem-like vocal work. The title track is another nice sing-along metal number, but I liked it better when the band is pouring on the aggression. Still, extra pointers for the vocals and guitars, and the solid rhythm section ain't slouches either.
The third number is a good example of my point; the more heaviness is thrown in, the better the song, and the keyboard addition is also a nice touch here. Still, it's in such fast tracks such as "Trigger Your Fantasy" where they shine.
One thing though, the vocals should have been a bit lower in the mix, Vindex's vocalist has a good voice, but there's no point in the vocals obscuring the music so much.
To conclude, this isn’t anything new or surprising, but within the limitations of the genre the album succeeds pretty well. But please guys, next time pick a cover with your eyes open.
Alon Miasnikov
