The relationship between pop culture and heavy metal has become increasingly blurred over the last couple of decades. Many bands have chosen to utilise more radio-friendly elements to boost the appeal of the band. In the past, I wasn’t much of a fan, but now that we have had some time to refine it and make it something unique, it has started to take on a bit of a life of its own.
Break Me Down’s album release The Pond can be added to the group of bands that is helping to refine this further. The release is mixed and mastered very well.
It’s not a booming mix that slaps you in the face, but I don’t think it was designed to be. There are some strong grooves, catchy choruses and the guitar tone is nice and think.
Two standouts are the solos and Franco’s voice.
The solos have a sort of 90s feel to them. In my humble opinion, this was a golden age of solos, a time where solos were expressive and would serve as a feature of tracks (sometimes even the best element of the track), I see this potential here and would love to see it become more of a focus in future releases. Franco’s voice is exceptionally strong, with some great control and a series of ‘big notes’ used to showcase versatility. There is nothing quite like a strong front to a band.
Overall, this is a solid first major release, with plenty of potentials to grow and develop. Suitable for those who don’t mind mixing their Disturbed with their Gwen Stefani.
Release Year: 2019
Label: self-released
Category: Album
Country: Italy
Reviewed by Liam Frost-Camilleri
