Onward To Olympas – The War Within Us – Album Review

My face hurts!

Summary: Onward to Olympas has been sent to us by a remorseful, but ultimately lazy god. It rocks, but feels slightly unfinished

Genre: All newer metal has at least 3-4 nowadays

Expected Release Date: 3/15/2011 (Already out!)

3 Stars

***

“Onward to Olympas!” shouted the peasant farmers. They have had enough of the poor crop of recent metal bands and sought an audience with the gods. “Why do you plague us with band after band that offer nothing but regurgitated riffs and ideas? Do you realize that bass drops and one handed, open string chug riffs are the pests destroying this genre?”

“Silence!” shouted Zeus. “You should be happy that you get anything at all! Without crap there is no good, without dark there is no light.

“But Zeus, you have littered the metal landscape with mediocrity for so long. People are starting to think that bands like Disturbed and Suffokate are pure genius.”

“NOOOOO!!” escaped from between Zeus’ lips as he contemplated the lazy attitude that had created bands such as these. “I will send an amazing band and stop this for good” he thought to himself. “Be prepared for the next great thing!” roared the angry god.

An ominous droan emanated from the portal. The newest creation was being formed. As the energy needed was being drawn from his body, Zeus forgot that he had something to do halfway through and was really tired from starting that Libyan rebellion a few weeks ago. His latest greatest creation was to be left for the humans to produce and finish…..

“The War Within Us” is another in a long line of new metal (not nu-metal) albums that you like, but ultimately feel that something was left undone. Did that tom fill really need a flanger on it? Couldn’t that open string chug riff have touched the fretboard somewhere? Clean singing mixed with unintelligible growl vocals again? This is ashame as there a lot of moments on this album that I really enjoyed.

“Hidden Eyes” opens with a dragon slaying riff that no one could apparently find the vision to repeat. It follows with a generic metal riff and an open string, one hand chugger, but it’s not the worst filler I’ve ever heard. It’s “Revealing” to know that if I wanted to start a metal band these days, I could get away with not touching the neck to create heaviness. I’m gonna start calling these Hands Off Riffs or H.O.R.’s for short. The title track is the most balanced of the bunch, but resorts to a H.O.R. to end it. Come on….

These are “Unsuitable Patterns” and I won’t idly stand by! Oh wait, this song is good. Nevermind. “Seeker” and you shall find a string of pretty dang good riffage. There’s a H.O.R., but it doesn’t ruin the moment. The “Structures” on this album are steadily improving. Hooray! Creative heavies abound in this thar song. Take “The March” of death to Interludeville. It’s well done, I just do not like interludes in metal albums. (See past reviews)

Can the album be “Rebuilt”? The foundation is strong and the clean middle is something to aspire to. Epic close anyone? Anyone? Bueller? “From The Mouth” to your ears is a pleasant little diddy with H.O.R.s and 1/2 H.O.R.s here and there, but ultimately keeps it dignity. The “Accuser” is telling everyone to shut the fuck up already. Especially late twenty something critics that act like they know everything there is to know about metal. A good closing track that inevitably ends with studio fade…..

3 out of 5 stars

——————-

Buy This For $9.99 !

MYSPACE PAGE
FACEBOOKING

The War Within Us – LIVE