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THE BERZERKER World of Lies Earache (2006)
If there is one word, which completely represents the true spirit of the Electro Death/Grinders The Berzerker, that is definitely aggression! Is that word a natural result or in any way relevant to the fact that we are talking about an Australian band here? Well, I have my own theory regarding that and about this great country's contribution to the extreme metal world, but in this case, it's better to let the music do the talking! Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the band's latest album "World of Lies".
I don't know if it is because most Australian bands that I really like (see Destroyer 666, Gothic Slam) have an obvious Thrash Metal background or even more importantly the fact that Matt Wilcock's (guitars) participation in the last Akercocke album “Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone" helped make this one of the most powerful releases of 2005, but I somehow expected something similar from the new Berzerker album, and I'm afraid that the result was quite disappointing.
One could say that this might be because of my inability to relate to extreme Death or Grind metal, but this argument is proven to be false, seeing as albums like Brutal Truth's "Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses" hold a very important place in my vinyl collection. I think that the problem here lies in the fact that Luke Kenny and Co were so preoccupied in creating a fast and aggressive album which would help them retain their cult status, that they somehow managed to miss the point completely.
The first few compositions of the album are composed with the classic fast riff-blastbeat-low/throaty growls formula in mind, and unfortunately sound exceedingly average/boring. There is an obvious Deicide influence, especially in the vocal section and the fast guitar themes, but unfortunately, there is also a total lack of good melodies that would support and promote them to a wider audience.
However, half way through the album we see a change in attitude with songs like "Follow Me", "Y" and the quite melodic (for the band's standards) "Free Yourself", which shows that there is another side to this band's character that we were unfortunately deprived of.
I understand that this is not the most favourable review that the band would ever wish for, but I also want to make sure that I don't bring the wrong message out either. If you like extreme Death/Grind metal, you will probably disregard this review and buy this album. The rest of you, though, should really give this album a few spins before you decide whether the fourteen compositions of "Word of Lies" are suited to you, simply because its uncompromising character and extreme nature will leave no room for mistakes!
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Review by John Stefanis
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