Here's another Metal Mind reissue of a fomer release on Empire Records, the 2005 CD from Poland's Totem called Day Before the End. Don't let the band picture on the back of the album or the song titles fool you-Totem are no bunch of prog rockers. Day Before the End is fast and furious death & thrash metal from start to finish. Featuring two vocalists, both male and female (Wera and Auman) who alternate between evil growls and melodic clean vocals, there's a nice variety throughout this fairly short 7-song release. Production wise this is a very solid sounding platter, the guitars thick and brutal, with plenty of tasty shred solos here and there, and the drum work tight and intricate. The main problem here is that some of the songs tend to sound too much alike, the arrangements from track to track somewhat all-too familair as you make your way through the CD. One of the exceptions is the In Flames influenced "Lost Dimensions, complete with some haunting acoustic guitar passages at the intro which leads to come crushing riffs and spirited growling from the two singers. "Thrash the South" sounds incredibly like vintage Sepultura, while the title track, as well as the technical death metal of "The Race", each have a certain Arch Enemy feel to it.
Day Before the End overall has a lot to recommend. It's well played with very good production values, and the dual vocal attack is quite effective. The band needs a little work in the songwriting department as far as mixing up their arrangements a bit, but otherwise this is a solid release. It will be interesting to hear what they come up with next.
Track Listing
01. Day Before The End
02. The Race (P.O.C.B.F.E.O.O.M.)
03. Merry - Go - Round
04. Taste Of Life
05. Lost Dimension
06. Thrash The South
07. For
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