Nexxt - Strength Of The Horned One
Self-released - 2006
By Philip Whitehouse
Ouch. Italy's got some pretty killer metal bands knocking around, but based on this self-released four-track EP, Nexxt are pretty far from being one of them. Strength Of The Horned One showcases an old-school metal sound that, while competently played and pretty well produced, is severely hamstrung by uninspired songwriting, some ham-fisted attempts at unconventional/proggy structures, and some really, really off-puttingly bad vocals.
Seriously, it's pretty hard not to laugh when 'Deliver Us From Evil''s vocals kick in - it doesn't help matters that the intro to the song sounds fairly plodding and energy-free, mind - but when the amusingly-bearded Cristian Tricarico comes in and opens his mouth, his gruff, over-dramatic but under-developed voice just brings the whole thing crashing down. Particularly when his fairly broken English produces the line "Cause evil makes us bad".
The instrumental performances are competent enough (although the drumming is pretty basic), and from time to time a decent, somewhat thrashy but most trad-metal riff shines through - but sadly, the riffs are put to the service of songs that just lack anything that grabs the listener by the throat and demands that they listen. The attempts at proggier songwriting on the title track just sound a little awkward and self-conscious, and elsewhere the vocals just stomp any potential flat. Nexxt - dump the vocalist, start playing like you mean it, and try to work within your limitations more. Then we'll talk.
3.5/10
UM's Review Rating Scale
Nexxt's Official Website
Self-released - 2006
By Philip Whitehouse
Ouch. Italy's got some pretty killer metal bands knocking around, but based on this self-released four-track EP, Nexxt are pretty far from being one of them. Strength Of The Horned One showcases an old-school metal sound that, while competently played and pretty well produced, is severely hamstrung by uninspired songwriting, some ham-fisted attempts at unconventional/proggy structures, and some really, really off-puttingly bad vocals.
Seriously, it's pretty hard not to laugh when 'Deliver Us From Evil''s vocals kick in - it doesn't help matters that the intro to the song sounds fairly plodding and energy-free, mind - but when the amusingly-bearded Cristian Tricarico comes in and opens his mouth, his gruff, over-dramatic but under-developed voice just brings the whole thing crashing down. Particularly when his fairly broken English produces the line "Cause evil makes us bad".
The instrumental performances are competent enough (although the drumming is pretty basic), and from time to time a decent, somewhat thrashy but most trad-metal riff shines through - but sadly, the riffs are put to the service of songs that just lack anything that grabs the listener by the throat and demands that they listen. The attempts at proggier songwriting on the title track just sound a little awkward and self-conscious, and elsewhere the vocals just stomp any potential flat. Nexxt - dump the vocalist, start playing like you mean it, and try to work within your limitations more. Then we'll talk.
3.5/10
UM's Review Rating Scale
Nexxt's Official Website
