Trendkill - No Longer Buried
Regain Records - RR 080 - 2005
By Philip Whitehouse
Swedish quintet Trendkill could, let's be honest, have picked a name that doesn't speak quite so clearly about their influences. Especially when you consider that the fairly self-evident Pantera predilection coded within the group's sound even manages to make the band's name somewhat self-contradictory. However, there are many more bands with far worse names, and it would seem that Trendkill have a couple of other tricks up their sleeve too, since No Longer Buried positively bristles with infectious rage, switching tacks from bludgening Hatebreed-esque testosterone-core ('Timeless Quality') to quasi-technical thrash ('Break The Silence') while still finding time to shoehorn in some stunning riffs (the chorus riff to 'One Step Closer' wouldn't get out of my head for weeks).
True, there is little about this record that smacks particularly of innovation or originality - you can almost identify which band Trendkill are taking particular influence from as each riff passes by, with Lamb Of God, Pantera, Machine Head, Hatebreed and occasionally Meshuggah being the most frequently referenced acts. However, the lead-heavy production, ferocity of the material, and evident technical ability on the part of the musicians involved (the drummer, particularly, is damned good) gives No Longer Buried the boost needed to raise it slightly above the sea of contemporary metalcore releases.
7/10
Trendkill Official Website
Regain Records
Regain Records - RR 080 - 2005
By Philip Whitehouse
Swedish quintet Trendkill could, let's be honest, have picked a name that doesn't speak quite so clearly about their influences. Especially when you consider that the fairly self-evident Pantera predilection coded within the group's sound even manages to make the band's name somewhat self-contradictory. However, there are many more bands with far worse names, and it would seem that Trendkill have a couple of other tricks up their sleeve too, since No Longer Buried positively bristles with infectious rage, switching tacks from bludgening Hatebreed-esque testosterone-core ('Timeless Quality') to quasi-technical thrash ('Break The Silence') while still finding time to shoehorn in some stunning riffs (the chorus riff to 'One Step Closer' wouldn't get out of my head for weeks).
True, there is little about this record that smacks particularly of innovation or originality - you can almost identify which band Trendkill are taking particular influence from as each riff passes by, with Lamb Of God, Pantera, Machine Head, Hatebreed and occasionally Meshuggah being the most frequently referenced acts. However, the lead-heavy production, ferocity of the material, and evident technical ability on the part of the musicians involved (the drummer, particularly, is damned good) gives No Longer Buried the boost needed to raise it slightly above the sea of contemporary metalcore releases.
7/10
Trendkill Official Website
Regain Records
