Chile's Human Factor was formed in 2002 and Unleashed is their debut album. Originally released in their homeland in 2004 to great acclaim, the band was then signed by Mausoleum Records for an international distribution deal. Comprised of five members, some of them also in Chile's well-known acts Witchblade and Bewitched, Human Factor plays melodic metal with occasional hard rock and neoclassical leanings.
The songs are generally melodic and filled with catchy guitar harmonies by Guillermo Olivares and female shredder Soledad Genua, who both go for extended neoclassical runs from time to time. Unfortunately vocalist Daniel Elbelman's voice just doesn't do it for me. His tone is way too screechy for my tastes and he tends to overstep the limits of his range quite often, which results in ear-bleeding moments on tunes like the title track or the needless falsettos on "Sky Warning" can also get grating. From what I've read, he seems to have been replaced now, so we'll have to wait and see how their new singer sounds. "We Are More" is a bit more in the European style of power metal but the drum tone is too flat and lacks the energy of bands like Stratovarius, Rage, and Masterplan. It's a shame that some of the songs fall short off the mark because of Elbelman's lacking vocal performance, for some of the guitar work is truly impressive. The duel leads on "Fire" and the very neoclassical-tinged work on "Be the Hero" are both enjoyable, until the vocals kick in. Also worth mentioning are "Time Traveler I" and "Time Traveler II", starting out as epic pieces, with heavy bass and dynamic drumming, and the latter standing out as it is relatively darker than its counterpart. There is also a video of "Human Factor" on the CD as a bonus piece.
Bottom line is Human Factor is a supergroup from Chile and they have plenty of potential. Now that they are also signed to Mausoleum they could put together a better release with more solidified material, a more competent singer, and hopefully stronger production values.
Track Listing
- Sky Warning
- Inside Hell
- Human Factor
- We Are More
- Fire
- Be the Hero
- Living in Darkness
- Time Traveller I
- Time Traveller II
- See the Light
- Faster
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
