The Eagle Has Landed is the debut EP from Western Sydney groove metal band Whiskey Smile.
The five members of this band have created an extremely professional and fantastic-sounding EP that for the first four tracks delivers everything you need in this style of metal. The rhythm section is excellent with big thudding drums, riffs that are catchy and provide plenty of inspiration for impulsive headbanging in particular the songs, Cheap And Easy, and A Shallow Grave, the two standouts on the album.
The opening song Cheap And Easy starts with a slow melodic intro before blowing up your speakers into a hammering, venom spitting groove metal anthem.
Every album has its hit and I believe that the song A Shallow Grave is just that. A military-sounding drum beat with an absolute thunder and lightning sound of fast guitar riff and booming drums. It’s probably the fastest song on the album and the real money track. The whole album has a great sound and a nice flow to it with all the elements loud and clear, displaying the band members’ talented musicianship. I really liked the vocals on here as they suit the style of music perfectly and the intensity level to solidify the end result.
Being a five-track EP and wanting to hear more of what this band had to offer I was rather puzzled by the inclusion of a cover of Rock Lobster by the B52’s. If you are only going to put 5 songs on a disc, why waste one of those spots with a rather silly cover of a not very good pop song.
The only negative on the album.
Overall this is a very strong first release by a band that clearly has talents and even more potential than displayed on here. I recommend this album to anyone, especially those who love that groove metal style.
Whiskey Smile: Facebook
Release Year: 2013
Label: self-released
Category: EP
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Chris Rankin
