Whatever you are doing when you first listen to this album be prepared to tap your fingers and bounce your head as these guys attempt to knock you back on your feet. From out of Thessaloniki, Greece come a group of thrash metalists who power through power chords trying to blow out your speakers.
Roll of dice is the debut album from primarily the mind of guitarist, vocalist, and composer David Mano who takes on most of the musicianship on the album leaving the drums to George Baltas whilst recruiting the help of other musicians to complete the album. David contributed all the primary vocals.
He reaches up to the shelf marked ‘shrill tones’ and opens a jar of ‘unique resonance’ which he manages to hold throughout the album. The chorus effect of the vocals on through the songs provides a necessary musical layer. Energy shines through well through the lyrics.
Solos dot the musical map here and there without any accumulation in any one place. I feel that possibly there could actually be more solos dotted around to break up the repeating riffs and lyrics. While the album is mostly thrash there is an homage to the blues-rock with a Chuck Beer style lick in ‘Decieve’ that shows a depth of influence in the rock ‘n roll genre. The intro to the last track ‘Changing Eras’ adds to this. It’s an instrumental track and when you see one of these on the album it’s always welcome when you have been enjoying the album because at the end you could quite easily finish up a track like that like dessert. The final track there odes to bands that have likely to influenced them like some of the big thrash bands, but with a style of Thraz present linked to the rock ‘n roll genre.
As far as interesting guitar tones go then have a go at the intro of ‘Nothing from you’ with it sounding like a country and western tune being fed a load amphetamines and being played double time. The first song on the album has smooth, slightly trebled-laden acoustic intro. Half way through title track and third on the album, Roll of Dice, comes a unique break in the rhythm of the music with a clever use of sombre guitar tone that builds into the solo.
This is an album that you should be listening to. There are complexities that could possibly be added to give the music more depth but it does have an overall rhythm that makes it worth spinning on the decks.
Tracklist:
1.Arrival – Braindead
2. Nothing from you
3. Roll of dice
4. Deceive
5. Feeding Hand
6. Get a job
7. Bite me
8. Hold your cards
9. Faliure (To commmincate)
10. Changing Eras (instrumental)
Release Year: 2019
Label: Alcyone Records
Category: Album
Country: Greece
Reviewed by Byron Lotz
