Sculpture – Review

Sculpture

(Nuclear Blast)
by Paul Lee

Similar to bands like Cemetery, Dreadful Shadows, and Evereve, Sculpture mix the metal with the moodiness and have produced some fine, heavy Goth rock. When I first saw an ad for this eponymous release, I wrongly assumed Sculpture were just another powermetal act entering the over-saturated market. No, they’re more than that. There’s no way to avoid the Metallica comparison – in addition to the similar heavy riffing and rhythms, singer Stefan sounds somewhat like James Hetfield, circa Load. In spite of the obvious classic and modern metallic influences, Sculpture don’t just recycle metal, they incorporate modern influences into their repertoire to produce a relatively refreshing sound. They turn on a Machine Head groove and alternate it with a melodic Nephilimish passage on “Deniers,” and on “Bring Me Down,” they incorporate a Korn-like riff that melds into a Metallica rumble. The addition of atmospheric keyboards (and sometimes straight piano) adds a classical dimension as well. While there isn’t a hell of a lot of originality here, Sculpture incorporate enough influences and styles to keep it interesting throughout. Guitarist Lotte used to be in German death/Goth metallers Crematory, but it looks like he’s taken a step in a better direction. Though they may not take the metal world by storm, Sculpture has plenty of potential and could grow into an even fiercer predator.
(PO Box 43618 Philadelphia, PA 19106)