Scavenger Madness To Our Method
Sentinel GOK007 June 2004
By Anna Novitzky
I had a brain once. I could think, talk, and even do long division. Then I listened to too much power metal (entirely against my will, I assure you) and my brain turned to mush. I mourn its passing, and if I had my way power metal would be eradicated from the face of the earth. However, if it has to exist, it should all be as mild and inoffensive as Madness To Our Method.
The album kicks off with an interestingly melodic, almost jazz-like, guitar solo that is faintly reminiscent of Ephel Duath and significantly raises my hopes as to the possible quality of the recording. Sadly, all my hopes are dashed when, three minutes in, the traditional nasal, drawn-out, tuneless power vocals descend. They remain in position for the rest of the album, drowning out any exciting musical manoeuvres and leaving me with a strong desire to bash my head against the wall in protest against missed opportunities.
That said, Scavenger do manage to avoid many of the traditional clichés of the genre. They resist temptations to include random sound effects like howling wolves and thunderstorms; to shout odd words repeatedly for no apparent reason; to create an album that is nothing more than an outdated vehicle for their frighteningly unoriginal egos; and to irritate the living shit out of me. Unfortunately, they dont seem to have been able to come up with anything else with which to fill in the gaps. The result is an album that plods along harmlessly, performing well but never managing to take off. Its never going to spark a revolution or even turn many heads, but at least it doesnt make me want to rip the musicians heads off and spit down their throats.
4/10
Official Scavanger website
Official Sentinel Records website
Sentinel GOK007 June 2004
By Anna Novitzky
I had a brain once. I could think, talk, and even do long division. Then I listened to too much power metal (entirely against my will, I assure you) and my brain turned to mush. I mourn its passing, and if I had my way power metal would be eradicated from the face of the earth. However, if it has to exist, it should all be as mild and inoffensive as Madness To Our Method.
The album kicks off with an interestingly melodic, almost jazz-like, guitar solo that is faintly reminiscent of Ephel Duath and significantly raises my hopes as to the possible quality of the recording. Sadly, all my hopes are dashed when, three minutes in, the traditional nasal, drawn-out, tuneless power vocals descend. They remain in position for the rest of the album, drowning out any exciting musical manoeuvres and leaving me with a strong desire to bash my head against the wall in protest against missed opportunities.
That said, Scavenger do manage to avoid many of the traditional clichés of the genre. They resist temptations to include random sound effects like howling wolves and thunderstorms; to shout odd words repeatedly for no apparent reason; to create an album that is nothing more than an outdated vehicle for their frighteningly unoriginal egos; and to irritate the living shit out of me. Unfortunately, they dont seem to have been able to come up with anything else with which to fill in the gaps. The result is an album that plods along harmlessly, performing well but never managing to take off. Its never going to spark a revolution or even turn many heads, but at least it doesnt make me want to rip the musicians heads off and spit down their throats.
4/10
Official Scavanger website
Official Sentinel Records website
