In an age where the metal-core genre has for the most part run its course, you still get bands who release product that is totally worth listening to. Take this latest from Freya as an example of how to successfully fuse metal and hardcore, and not have it sound like all the thousands of other acts on the scene. Despite the ferocity contained within these ten songs, the band throws in plenty of melody, but does so without altering much from their trademark growls and shouts. Sure, there's the occasional clean vocal passage in between the extreme rantings, like on "Lilith", but for the most part this is all furious thrash-o-rama complete with non-stop guitar riffs and pounding rhythms that will make any fan of Hatebreed, Unearth, Poison the Well, and Earth Crisis happy. In fact, Freya members Karl Buechner (vocals), Erick Edwards (lead guitar), and Bulldog (rhythm guitar) were a major part of the band Earth Crisis during their ten -year run, and are joined here by bassist Ethan Henry and drummer Dennis Merrick. While most of the songs here on Lift the Curse are in the 2-3 minute range, making for a very fast listen (less than a 30 minute overall run-time), the band finishes the album with a cover of the Black Sabbath classic "War Pigs", which is probably one of the most interesting versions of this metal standard you will hear, with its mix of growls and clean vocals to go along with the trademark riffs.
Perhaps the metal-core curse has been lifted after all? Time will tell, but this sophomore release from Freya is a good one if you like this sort of thing.
Track Listing
1. Threads Of Life
2. Suffer Not One
3. Only The Martyrs
4. Down To The Last
5. Through The Eyes Of The Angel Of Death
6. Alleviate
7. Lift The Curse
8. Lilith
9. Born In Blood
10. War Pigs
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