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It's not that it's a bad album, it's just a little too bland.-
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| The Kandidate: Facing the Imminent Prospect of Death |
Groove Metal, Thrash Metal
Napalm Records
February 7th, 2012
- Death - 1:42
- Beyond the Mind, Sleep You'll Find - 3:12
- One and Alone - 2:28
- Total War - 2:53
- Modvind - 3:04
- Let the Maggots Have It - 3:50
- Standing on the Cliffs of Madness - 3:22
- Fucked in the Search for Life - 2:39
- Disillusionized - 2:45
- Dommedag - 2:37
- The Knives Spit - 2:37
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| Review Information |
Release length: 31:10
Review posted on February 3rd, 2012
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| | Overall Score: 5.5/10 |
 
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The Kandidate came out of nowhere with their Napalm Records debut Until We Are Outnumbered back in 2010. The release didn't really meet with the most gracious of reviews, though some still had positive things to say about it. Two years afterwards, the band, still with Napalm Records, returns with the follow-up album that has all Thrash fans quaking in fear. But, the question now is simply, "When did The Kandidate drop that modern sound and actually play something good and less generic?"
That is the exact case with Facing the Imminent Prospect of Death. The album is a complete reversal of the last album, especially in the audio. While Until We Are Outnumbered was a bit of a sleeker production with a more modern sound, this album actually finds a bit of a rawer sound that really hammers away with the Groove Metal soaked Thrash material. The guitars here sound dirty and heavy thanks to that slightly lower audio quality, and the bass really becomes apparent in the mix, backing up the guitars well with a pounding authority behind it to enrich the music nicely. The vocals here are rough mid-level rasp that finds a little harmonization thrown in to suit the chords nicely, though there honestly isn't too much range to be found here. When there is more energy and a higher pitch is incorporated, it sounds great, and the same goes for the deeper tones that come out at select times. While these work with the album, they aren't much to really look at sometimes. Aside that you also have the drums which, for the most part, are great. The snares sound tight and come through loudly with a thicker sound against bass kicks that have a nice click that comes through the mix perfectly without fear of being drowned out. However, the cymbals really become a problem, and this is clearly something that seems to stem from the production angle. The best way to explain it is that they can sound washed out, or as if the audio there is cutting in and out, even when being left to ring out, though when played faster it becomes a lot more obvious. This is distinct and right there in the mix, sadly making it very hard to ignore, grabbing your attention when you are really trying to ignore them.
But, right from the start, this release grabs you with it's muddier, aggressive sound that is definitely far more enjoyable, and even rather unique for the style this time around. Yes, similarities can be pulled from the music in comparison to other bands, but The Kandidate does a good job here to make it sound like they are trying to not completely rip off another act, which is apparent with "Death." This is a surprising way to start the album off, as it just sounds like a rough start to a really cheap casette recording of a band's rehearsal at the very start, but eventually shifts into a slower chugging Groove Metal song. This bleeds into "Beyond the Mind, Sleep You'll Find," which shows off the stronger Groove and Thrash Metal sound the band will be working with. The song has its moments where it will pick up into some strong Thrash riffs, or at least carry a general speed with it, but this is when the cymbals will really start to show how badly they can mess with the material.
Many of the songs are your traditional near three minute mark, and given what the band presents here, it's probably for the best. While Facing the Imminent Prospect of Death is a good album, that's about where you'll draw the line. Even "Beyond the Mind, Sleep You'll Find" isn't the most impressive song you'll come across. The rest of the tracks here vary greatly, but nothing ever comes off as a bad song, or even like genuine filler material. "Total War" makes for a great example of what some strong Thrash aggression and the catchier Groove Metal foundation can do for the band. The chorus is pretty simple in a Slayer manner, but the additional groovey riffs really will find your head banging along, as well as the build from the main verses to that chorus. The screaming here becomes a welcome addition to the album as well, and really feeds into the proper intensity that the music is channeling, and the blasting section shortly after the half way mark does elevate the rebelious hostility that already exists.
Then there are tracks like "Let the Maggots Have It" that don't quite feature that same kind of hostility despite the Thrash Metal sound. The slower tone of this track feels more Death Metal oriented with a very b-movie zombie type of lyrical approach. The bass seems much louder here, and ends up being really important to the serious, more intense nature of the song. In the end, the song does gradually build up nicely as you reach the end, getting a little more going on musically to make it heavier, but the overall performance is pretty simplified. This is a stark contrast to songs like "Total War" and "Standing on the Cliffs of Madness," which show the band making progress towards making the Groove and Thrash Metal sound work well for them. The latter of those two makes for another good example thanks to how much energy is pumped into it. "Fucked in the Search for Life" really brings things back to the old-school Thrash sound too and really shows the potential the band has hidden amid the rather lackluster. This song has a nice Crossover edge to it with some harmonizations layered against catchy riffs and an overall energetic, fun sound that immediately will have the listener's head banging along and make him or wish with they were in the middle of a mosh that very instant.
The best way to sum the album up is to say that it really becomes boring, but enjoyable for what it is. This is about as basic as you can get when combing the Groove Metal and Thrash Metal sounds, though largely there seems to be a heavy Slayer presence, but a dumbed down one. The Kandidate have taken a step in the right direction, and there ends up being less unoriginal material here despite the more obvious influences. But, they remain just that: Influences. Facing the Imminent Prospect of Death ends up being far from a bad release, and when the band does kick things into gear you can't help but get swept up into the adrenaline and aggression that they do bring with them. But, if that doesn't exist in the song, then chances are good you'll be waiting for the track to just end.
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Digital review copy of this release provided by:
Napalm Records. |
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