I Am I is a band fronted by former Dragonforce mouthpiece ZP Theart and featuring former Quireboys/The Union drummer Phil Martini (aka Phil Martin). ‘Event Horizon’, their self-released debut, isn’t just a re-tread of Dragonforce works. With this band, Theart leans, in theory, towards something more melodic, offering huge European sounding power/pomp metal, given a huge send off in the production department by Masterplan man Roland Grapow. With those hard facts out of the way, some of you have already stopped reading, since Grapow’s unrelenting production style combined with Theart’s mere presence means that I Am I are unlikely to appeal to an audience outside of this band’s particular power metal subgenre.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
DEAD WOLF CLUB – RAR
Despite being a little rough around the edges, Dead Wolf Club’s debut album included some interesting musical ideas. There was strong sense of a band feeling their way around, throwing out ideas in an attempt to find out which ones would stick, but for those listeners who persevered, three or four genuinely great numbers could be found within. Looking beyond the truly awful sleeve art, their second release ‘RAR’ builds on the promise of the debut’s more focused moments, essentially leaving behind an album which shows off a band with a stronger sense of vision.
SEVEN DEADLY – The Allegiance EP
Featuring three ex-members of Panic Cell, Seven Deadly are a five piece metal band from the UK. Although they credit themselves as a thrash metal band, their overall sound isn’t as rooted within the classic eighties subgenre as some (Cry Havoc, we’re looking at you!). Perhaps more than thrash, the riffs on this debut EP often evoke the sounds of Pantera styled power grooves, as well as more than a passing resemblance to the mighty Lamb of God, while vocally, their use of filters and clean melodies puts them more in line with Killswitch Engage and the twenty first century metalcore scene. In many respects, though, these musical tags are unimportant; it’s whether the music makes an impression that’s of most importance – and from a huge metal perspective, even though it’s hugely generic,‘The Allegiance EP’ mostly pushes the right buttons.
CATTLE – Cattle EP
From out of the silence, a lo-fi bass chord emerges. Then another. Then a couple more. The quiet bass rattles gently for a while building expectation, yet giving little to no indication of what is to follow. As the drums appear, a stoner-ish vibe sets the pace before a heavy syncopated beat takes hold – one which is easily comparable to the darker, moodier works of Primus. …And for some, those funky few bars, will come to represent the most accessible part of Cattle’s self-titled EP.
FAHRAN – Fahran
Fahran was born from the ashes of Toxic Federation, a band whom already had a couple of DIY releases under their collective belts, despite having an average age of under twenty years old. Following the departure of Toxic’s vocalist and guitarist, a name change also bought the arrival of new band members, including vocalist Nick Whitcroft.