Susperia: Unlimited cd Reviews

[Xalon Niles]

Tracklist:
1. Chemistry = 10
2. The Coming Past = 9
3. Situational Awareness = 9
4. Devil May Care = 10
5. Off The Grid = 9
6. Years Of Infinity = 10
7. Home Sweet Hell = 10
8. Mind Apart = 9
9. Beast By Design = 9
10. Untouched = 10

My Review:
Things have changed with Susperia both music and vocal wise. Susperia used to Black Metal on their debut Predominance and then all out Black/Thrash Metal on their 2nd cd Vindication but keeping their own melodic style. Unlimited is beyond those 2 cds with a new live-like vibe to their unique sound that has changed in it's own way. Cyrus and his guitar partner of Crime Elvorn have become the best guitar duo of 2004's Thrash Metal scene. The huge change in their sound is Athera's voice, He was a normal Black Metal singer, then was semi-Black/Death vocals, and now all Thrash Metal clean vocals (like the amazing Chuck Billy). To me, Susperia are Norway's own The Beatles in their youth with the tightest team of musicians that think as one. The drumming work of Tjodalv have grown alot since his days in Dimmu Borgir. Norway's answer to Testament is here in the form of Susperia.


Categorical Rating Breakdown:

Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 10
Originality: 9
Overall: 9.5

Rating: 9.5 of 10

 

[SculptedCold]

Susperia were never black metal from the beginning or otherwise, but I agree with everything else you said.

I wouldn't have rated Unlimited so high. It is an excellent record, but the last three tracks are noticably lesser quality than the rest of it....and Untouched in particular is very badly suited as a closer. Devil May Care would have been the perfect song to close the record, so it's a badly arranged tracklist.

Other than that, an excellent record, and possibly their best yet i'm happy to say. The songwriting is the most straightfoward, conventional, and least varied yet, which is a bummer considering how diverse Predominance sounded, but then there's a high proportion of their best melodies, best riffs and by far Athera's best vocals, so I guess it all balances out.

8/10

 

[Psychonaut]

AFter only hearing a clip of the 'new' Susperia, I went out and bought it. To me, the vocals are a nice cross-breed between Chuck Billy and the singer from Omen. I never thought the band to be black metal. They were more of a blackened/thrash. While I enjoyed their first two albums, there was really nothing on them to set them apart from the many other bands doing the same thing so I think the change in vocal styles was an excellent decision as now they seem to have a sound more their own. This is easily their best and although there are a few filler tracks, it's an album that has jumped into my steady rotation and I see it staying there for a while.

8.5/10

 

[thespectralsorrows]

There new album sounds like a must own for most metal fans. I have their debut, but let their 2nd pass me by, I won't do that with their 3rd CD. It's hard to believe they have changed that much, but change is often good, can't wait to hear it!