Zatokrev: The Bat, the Wheel, and the Long Road to Nowhere

The long title of this album balances three items together, an appropriate choice given that this is the band's third full-length release. I like it when things come together like that. I do hope, though, that the "long road to nowhere" isn't a prediction about where this band is headed. Some listeners will certainly be tempted to think of these songs as a long road to nowhere; most of them either pass or come awfully close to the ten-minute mark. With length like that, it's easy to lose focus and to take listeners down too many paths, never giving the song enough structure or purpose. These guys typically keep things moving forward, but they do go on a little too long at times. They sound best when they are establishing a mellower musical mood, one that I increasingly associate with post metal. Most of the time, however, the band builds a strong musical foundation only to wreck it with screeching vocals that, to me, didn't fit the music very well. The band members describe their music as doom / death metal; sometimes they even bear the cool description of "sludge-apocalypse." I confess that I don't hear it. To me, this album is something more like a blend of death metal vocals with doom and post metal guitar parts brought in for good measure. The result is a strong album on the low end, some nice atmospheric instrumental parts, and a whole lot of vocal screeching.

Track Listing:
1. Goddam Lights
2. 9
3. Rodeo with Snakes
4. Medium
5. The Wheel
6. Feel the Fire pt. 1
7. Feel the Fire pt. 2
8. The Bat
9. Angels of Cross

Added: February 13th 2013
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 2545
Language: english

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