PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Revocation is a band that I have liked for quite a while. I was looking through the albums to review and this one immediately came to notice. Unfortunately, I have really mixed feelings about this album. After bringing out their single “The Hive” I was a bit neutral about the upcoming album. Now that I have heard the album I can tell you, the single really was a good way to measure whole the album, because it stays quite similar. The thing about Revocation that I’ve always hated is that the vocals never stand out for me, it is the band around it that makes everything sync.
The first thing I thought about this album was the fact that the album was a self-titled album. Now you have two options; one is that the band has no inspiration left or the album really represents a band that is getting back to their roots. I think it was the first option. I have always liked Revocation, especially since the amazing and skull-smashing album “Existence is Futile”. They let me think that they can very virtuosic but equally brutal. The riffs and solos were perfectly merged together in a very good way to represent their thrash/death style. The song “Dismantle the Dictator” was refreshing and made my (and definitely a lot of others) headbang along with the rhythm. Also in 2012 came the free EP “Teratogenesis” with new bassist Brett Bamberger, which I felt they had to record those songs on the new self-titled album.
While I was listening to this album, I got bored very quickly. We all know that their vocalist David Davidson really can throw out some nice growls, where are those? Not on this album I can tell you. The vocals stay a bit monotone. Tthey actually stay quite the same from start to finish. The riffs on the album are quite catchy and kind of groovy but they won’t hang around in your head forever. It started to sound a bit too groovy. The solos weren’t bad at all and some riffs are really interesting, but they became dull, simple and mediocre. The opening track “The Hive” actually was quite surprising! I really thought that in a few moments I would get smashed in my face with a hammer. Unfortunately that wasn’t the feeling that was coming over me. The album peaks near the end with the song “Invidious”. This was the point that the vocals stood out from the rest of the album. The drumming of Phil Dubois-Coyne suits the feel of the album and his skills are on full display during “Archfiend”.
Altogether I have very mixed feelings about this album. The album has its spectacular moments but it is nothing memorable. I think this is such an album I would not put in my car for long drives but it is more suited for a good drinking evening with your pals. It has its up and downs, but it really doesn’t do it for me at the moment. They can do way better than this and have proven it already on previous albums.
Tracklist:
The Hive
Scattering the Flock
Archfiend
Numbing Agents
Fracked
The gift you gave
Invidious
Spastic
Entombed by wealth
A visitation
Band Members:
David Davidson – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Brett Bamberger – Bass guitar, Vocals
Phil Dubois-Coyne – Drums, Percussion
Dan Gargiulo – guitar, vocals
Links
https://www.facebook.com/Revocation
http://www.relapse.com/label/revocation.html
