Vortech is an electronic influenced modern metal band from Finland that combine elements of thrash, death, grindcore and industrial into their music. Essentially, this is a one man band formed by Juhu Untinen who plays guitars, bass, and vocals. Originally the group was known as Sound Ogre, but changed names when Tero Konola (former drummer and bass player) left the band in 2005. The album's concept is a dark one. A futuristic world is about to be invaded by evil creatures, a somewhat H.P. Lovecraftian theme. While the music is very dark and fits the concept, I found the death vocals to be somewhat lacking. However, I must confess right now that I am not the world's biggest fan of death vocals, Opeth not withstanding. I would have preferred a little more variety in the vocal department. There are a couple of guest vocalists on a few of the tracks but I had trouble discerning them from the main vocalist. The music, on the other hand, is fairly interesting. The songs boast rapid fire beats and rhythms with slower soundscapes and samples in the background.
The first six tracks are relatively indistinct from one another. That is not to say they are bad songs, they just sound somewhat the same. That changes with "Deep Beneath" a minimalistic instrumental ambient piece with eerie sound effects and brooding synth lines. This is a welcome break from the intensity of the first few songs. The second half of the album offers a little more in terms of musical variation (quieter sections) and melody that definitely makes things more interesting. My CD has two additional songs, both instrumental, not listed in the liner notes which are actually pretty enjoyable.
I wish I could compare this to other bands but I am not the most knowledgeable person in this genre. According to the promotional material, Vortech has been inspired by bands like Emperor, Front Line Assembly, Arcturus, The Berzerker, Arcana and Ulver. I cannot comment further as I have not heard any of those bands. If what I have described is to your liking and you are a fan of the bands I have listed, raise my rating by one star and check out this CD for yourself. For myself, this is an ok release, but I might not be reaching for it all that often.
Track Listing
1. The Awakening (3:49)
2. Biodroid Legions (4:31)
3.The Undying Storm (4:24)
4. Shadow Shapes (4:02)
5. Retribution (3:49)
6. Bewildered (3:23)
7. Deep Beneath (6:23)
8. Subjugation (3:13)
9. Exile Within (4:28)
10. So They Rise (4:32)
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