Taste of Insanity

What's this? Is it nu metal? Is it metalcore? Is it new wave of American heavy metal? No, it's Taste Of Insanity. The band sounds overwhelmingly professional with an American sound that suggests they got full-time assistance from Colin Richardson or at least someone like Tue Madsen. But none of that. These four kiddo's from the rural grounds of Holland are responsible for this auditive uppercut themselves, which made their already explosive metal even more intimidating and will blow your ears to smithereens.

It's their second album after 'Anima', and it's one of the most international and modern sounding metal albums from Holland I've heard in a long time. They don't spill time and energy on subtle or fragile intermezzos, the testosterone air is filled with down tuned guitar riffs, destructive drums and roaring King Kongs. Openings song 'Dark Delusion' is blowing, scorching metal, whereby the closing hyperventilating thrash riffs reduce everything to ashes within a square mile. This is what Pantera should have sound like if they didn't stagnate and were eavesdropping at Earth Crisis and Machine Head, while featuring guest vocals from Layne Staley (†). Because in-between the screams and roars, Taste Of Insanity do have some (nasal) vocal sane moments for melody-sake. Thanks to this element they know how to make their compositions just a little more interesting than most other bands in this genre, but eventually they'll be also victimized by people who think "every metalcore band sounds the same". These people do have a point, but when Taste Of Insanity create songs like the infernal 'Redemon', with orchestral samples, they do exceed the average modern metal(core) format. The ear bleeding production and bloody well-meant aggressive attitude will do the rest for escaping the grey majority of the modern metal masses. An escape that will make Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Richard Attenborough and Charles Bronson proud… or am I really watching too many movies now?

Lords of Metal
- Lords of Metal, the Netherlands

Without hesitating, I take off my hat when I’m talking about Taste of Insanity! It’s the first time I hear such a perfect auto production.

Crystal case, beautiful artwork and a awesome production. The Dutch guys of TOI aver to be professionals without having a label, and I’m not sure if they need one!

The quartet plays a Metal fed with amphetamine, with a impressive screaming singer, a cataclysmic bass guitar and some guitars worth of a High-Speed Train! Nothing is due to hazard, each second of music is polished up, optimised to offer a maximum of power and melodies. Because, despite all this unrest, these guys manage to keep a melody in each title, without doing ‘too much’ and make easy-listening music. Huge and staggering, this album will kick your ass in a few seconds!

I can't understand why they don't have 10 labels in the front of their door! If we had an award for ‘The best auto production album of the month’, ‘The Great escape’ would get it without any protest!

Metalland, France
- Metalland, France

If the biography told me that Taste of Insanity were the new American metal sensation, I believed it! But the band is 'just’ coming from Holland. Why a sensation? Because 'The Great Escape’ is a modern and technical piece that sounds perfect. They combine during the whole album different styles and different rhythm’s, and that’s makes this album very nice to listen to!

While I was listening to this record I thought I could compare Taste of Insanity with another band, but I just did not know what band or style. Suddenly I thought: 311! This comparing is just the swinging tunes and the technical twist both bands have. A bit funky, but TOI is much more metal! I don’t know if the band is happy that I compare them with them, but this is far most the only band I can come up with. Because TOI is original and technical very strong. I think that all kinds of metalheads can enjoy this record, because there is for everyone something to recognize and most of all something new to discover on ‘The Great Escape’. The songs are very good and all this makes this release a must have! Check their website and order yourself a copy!

score: 90/100 - Shadows of Disgust, The Netherlands

‘The Great Escape’ is hallucinating. Their first record was already a strange, original and interesting surprise, but this sophomore album is really sick! Packed in a fashionable and trendy Compact Disc that doesn’t inferior the big international innovators of heavy music. To stick a label on this original four piece is just impossible, so I just name it ‘modern metal’ again, just like I did three years ago with their first album.

In comparison with their old material, the new songs are shorter and more attractive but also much more provocative! The excellent riff’s are not from the riff milk dry factory, but are over and over again new ideas and are great developed. The varied and sometimes manic vocals (Purify!) of Roeland sounds stronger than ever before and I want to hear and see the songs ‘Dark delusion’ and ‘State of Mind’ as soon as possible live! Freak song ‘Redemon’ is by far the best song the band has ever written, and the string arrangement in the middle of the song is really brilliant!

Normally in the third subparagraph I mention some points of improvements, but what must I say about a album that is great in every single way! A monster record from a band that looked up the word esoteric in the dictionary years ago.

score: 90 / 100 - Metalfan, the Netherlands

Sometimes you wonder where people fetch it. This also goes for Taste of Insanity. A few years ago they already came out strong with their debut Anima, anno 2005 this only became stronger. The band produces nice almost bombastic noise, where, in the case of “the Great Escape” the accent is laid upon songs and strong vocals. Of course the basis is to batter, but with TOI there is so much creativity in the band; by hooks, breaks, ingenious riff’s and beautiful structures, they brought a special metal-recording. Hard to place even. No nu metal, no metalcore (okay, just a little bit then), just a container filled with grooving, fresh metal. Sometimes a dutch touch, but with international potential.

80/100 (review by Frank Helmink) - Aardschok (mag), the Netherlands

With Taste Of Insanity’s ‘The Great Escape’, we have yet another excellent release of Dutch origin! Founded in 1996 and releasing a 4-track demo three years later, the band left a very promising impression. In 2002 the band released their debut ‘Anima’ which got rave reviews, not only in The Netherlands but also in the US!

The music of Taste Of Insanity is an excellent mix of (thrash) metal, hardcore and brutality, but most of all a lot of originality. They’ve really improved their own sound since the release of their debut album. Songs like ‘Dark Delusion’ sometimes remind me a bit of Mushroomhead (especially the vocals), but heavier and definitely more brutal!

One of the best songs of the album is definitely ‘Redemon’; a freaky, fast song that starts off real heavy and is followed by Dillinger Escape Plan-type guitar parts. The addition of string/keyboard samples makes it a very dark, heavy song. Other highlights; ‘60 min. Resentful’, that starts off with an intro which is kind of reminiscent of Machine Head and ‘Systemanic’ which has an amazing heavy, groovy ending!

For an unsigned (!), Dutch band the quality of this album is extremely high! The clear production and solid song structures makes ‘The Great Escape’ an excellent album that can easily compete with other bands in the genre!


Score: 4,5 of 5

Reviewer: Martijn Anemaat - Pitfather - Pitfather, the Netherlands

As far as unsigned bands can go with their talent and more important production Taste of Insanity are the cherry on the metal cake. Although this Dutch band is not a band common to a hardcore / punk zine like ours, you might enjoy their mix of modern metal styles, and hand shakes with classic acts. What styles? Machine Head brutality, Alice in Chains spookyness, Slipknot weirdness, Dillinger Escape Plan intelligence… need I go on? You’ll get my drift. I am amazed how this four piece has achieved this high standard hybrid knowing it’s only their second album, after debut “Anima”. I guess that has to do with the band never rushing into things. I mean they were founded in 1996 and took three years before their demo came out and another three years before the first cd. I can’t wait to hear more, but for the good of metal music, I hope they will take their time to create another beauty.

Martijn Welzen - Insideknowledge, the Netherlands

It’s clear that the men of Taste of Insanity are in no hurry, their release dates in their discography shows that. After the founding in 96 they bring out their first demo in 99, and in 2002 is the release of their debut album “Anima. Three years later, finally “The Great Escape”.

The first thing that attracts the attention are the sublime artwork and the ditto shaping. The band thought obviously “what sounds good, has to look good”. And sounding good is what this cd does. Besides a nice fat and heavy presented production, the album contains thirteen super tight, convincing songs. According to the cover these songs are divided in four chapters.

The album opens with the raving “Dark Delusion” where singer Roeland Visser explores almost every far corner of his vocal chords. From hard and aggressive to clean and beautiful and via an extreme high scream back again. This alternation in the vocals keeps coming back in the rest of the songs en is one of the points why the band easily extends above the norm. Also regarding the musical filling, these guys know excellent who to keep the attention with alternation. From heavy, rude mosh pieces to rocking to stowing, it’s al in their music. The good thing about Taste of Insanity is that besides the presence of the traditional metal-background, they also listened very good to the refreshing metal generation, to melt both influences in a solid and natural sounding combination. The bio says there is lot of attention from abroad, logic!

review by Onno - Musicfrom (ezine), the Netherlands

WMmusic
Dieptol 126, 8332 BS Steenwijk
Tel +31 (0)521-514405
Mobile +31 (0)6-23799373
Email henk@wmmusic.nl
Site www.wmmusic.nl

WMmusic
Willy v/d Meer
Borneoweg 11, 5451 GJ Mill
Tel +31 (0)485-380138
Email willy@wmmusic.nl
Site www.wmmusic.nl - WMmusic, the Netherlands