Preacher - Counterfeit Penitence (2013) [Gorgatz]


- I N F O -

Disharmonies can be stylistic devices indeed. But whether intentionally or not: Great Britain’s PREACHER bring dissonance to the extreme. Vocalist “Swine” and his fellows pull through the tonal lapses in such a consequent manner that one has to assume they meant to do so. First and foremost, this is going on my nerves.

Can such a review turn out positive in the end after such an introduction? With certain constraints: yes. Regarding the plain music PREACHER’s highly progressive works are actually based on exceptional ideas: furiously fast riffs combined with kind of a Sunday afternoon rhythm, for instance. Unusual combinations of driven back guitars and a dominant keyboard layer simply lying there in the foreground for several measures. Epic and partially Hardcore-like outbursts follow complicated tinkering passages. An adorable yet disturbing mixture of classic Heavy Metal and progressive elements. Unfitting repetitions are largely avoided, all together actually setting perfect preconditions.

But then there is this one single problem that deals the deathblow to “Counterfeit Penitence”. The guys from Wales recorded the whole album themselves. In fact this is honourable and usually hellishly effortful, a fact that is to be recognized, but in this case it still sounds too often like muffled drums and MIDI-sounds instead of what the songs really deserve.

Diagnosis:
Every time I am just about to rejoice about being able to rewrite the review in a more positive way, I get disappointed by one of those discords or a self-overwhelming sound-blast. I would really like to rate “Counterfeit Penitence” higher, because PREACHER venture to try out way more than the average contemporary newcomer. But the load of deficiencies does not allow it. Therefore: six points, but please continue making music guys!

- T R A C K L I S T -

01. Counterfeit Penitence
02. F.T.W.
03. Under The Table Before The Shockwave Hits The Town
04. A Policy Of Lies
05. Dark Town
06. Pray For Rain
07. Elemental I
08. Dust
09. Left Behind
10. An Agonising End
11. Let My Dark Arise

Format: 320 mp3
Genre: Heavy Metal
Sub Genre: Thrash Metal, Progressive Metal
Size: 156.08 MB