Metallica’s lack of adrenaline is primarily due to their songwriting strategy of submerging power ballads beneath their traditional guitar chugging techniques.
Like Bouncing Souls (only more NY hardcore), H2O are never as good on record as they are on stage, but Thicker than Water is better than a stick in the eye.
Fall From Grace trudges through swampy emotions, all roads leading nowhere, all vegetation doomed in the end, the smell of slow-moving death at your heels.
The twists each song takes as it snakes its way through ravaged, desolate landscapes is extremely impressive. Norwegian black metal at its darkest core.
The production is ripping, all the manic shredding elements are there, as is the token melodic guitar contrast, but it’s just not especially engaging to me.
A bunch of long-haired metal roarers attacking self-righteous Christians again and again? What’s not to like? But that’s when their music gets in the way.