switchblade scream

...traditional metal is well and truly back to conquer but there’s no reason why Scandinavia should rule the revivalist roost, as Glasgow’s Switchblade Scream (4/5) later prove in the unsigned tent. With energy to spare and the mighty vocal presence of Matt Dorian, they’re just as good as any trad-metal band receiving column space right now. - Ragnarok Radio.co.uk

Switchblade Scream are fun. Not in the sense of being 'wacky' mind. Nor are they flogging the horse of 'comedy metal', which is a good thing since that particular nag is tottering around looking a bit peaky, wondering when the nice men from Zimmers Hole are going to come and take it to the knackers yard. If I had describe them with reference to existing genres, I could talk about a mix of Thrash and Power metal, with a hefty dash of Hard Rock swagger. I won't of course, since Switchblade Scream are a rarity these days; a band that can accurately be described as 'Heavy Metal', but without wince inducing tribute band stigma. My favourite thing about this band is that they take everything that make their influences great, and blend them into a whiplash-mongering fist-pumping metallic beast, and they do it without sounding (too) cliched.

The three songs on the Myspace are well recorded and produced, which is not surprising, since the accompanying YouTube videos show the band horsing around in what appears to be a well appointed studio in Glasgow. Yes, Glasgow. More fucking Scots! Don't you lot have anything better to do than sit around all day and form metal bands? Probably not actually...
In any case, the mix is well executed, the guitar tone punchy and you can hear ALL THE INSTRUMENTS. Even the bass! Hallelujah!

"Antimatter" kicks off with a satisfying meaty Thrash assault, before seguing flawlessly into a melodic rock chorus. The riffs are very tight, effective without being ground breaking, and support the melodic lead work and vocals very well. The drummer breaks out some double-kick at appropriate moments, rather than just blasting all the way through. The song structure is pretty traditional, but it's so well executed that I didn't really care. I will level a couple of criticisms at this song ("about time!", you may be thinking) and say that personally I think the solo is a bit of a let down. I think there are definitely good ideas there, but they are spread a little too thin and this section could do with being a few bars shorter and more compact. The vocals are great, but sometimes I get the feeling that a little more could have been wrung out of them, but then I am a nitpicking pedant.

The next song, "Switchblade Scream", starts off with a worryingly balladish passage, but then kicks up a gear with some tremolo picking and then it's back to another chunky riff. The mood of this song changes a few times, and this helps to keep the lead guitar work (of which there is quite a bit) becoming tedious, especially the nice modal-sounding bit in the second solo section. The harmony vocals are put to good use in lifting the melody. Listening to this song I can actually hear a tiny bit of the Black Metal influence in the tremolo sections, which I originally scoffed heartily at when I first read it on the page.

"Outrun the Blood" kicks off with some gratuitous shredding, then sensibly keeps the pace high, then...oh dear...are those gang vocals? Bad Switchblade Scream. We do that outside!
A bit of Ascendancy-era Trivium can be heard in this song, which is a risky manoeuvre and no mistake. The solo saves it however, with a stop-start mechanic, that also gets the drummer battering away at everything near him (either that or its six pairs of shoes in a washing machine; a little more ring on the toms please) underneath a nice bluesy solo, which I think is probably the best executed one here, with sweep-picking tastefully punctuating pentatonic tomfoolery.

In Summary

The Good:
+ Great recordings
+ Good performances from all musicians
+ A good blend of influences is clearly audible
+ Songs are well written and executed

The Bad:
- Don't do anything truly ground-breaking
- Even the relatively minor cheese level on display will put some people off

This band are very good at what they do, and if you like your metal to be fast and melodic (think Firewind without the keyboards and pungent whiff of fondue) then I urge you to check these lads out. I predict a bright future for this band, especially with their upcoming Bloodstock date. There is scope to tighten up the lead guitar, and the singer could potentially be a little more adventurous, but these are merely specks of eggshell in the tasty omelette served up here. - UK Metal Underground