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Communic - Waves Of Visual Decay
Reviewed by Stian Fossum in 5/6/2006
There are a few things that normally would make me go a big circle around this album. Nuclear Blast, titles like "Waves of Visual Decay" and the extremely lame photoshop cover are the main ones. But, since I have a thing for power metal, I've been looking out for the second COMMUNIC album, "Waves of Visual Decay". And when I say power metal, I don't mean German or Finnish crappy velvetdressed smooth medievel circusmusic, but power metal from the school of old masters such as METAL CHURCH and SANCTUARY.
And now I've mentioned SANCTUARY, which is the far closest band to compare COMMUNIC with, alongside NEVERMORE. Especially with a singer like Oddleif Stensland, former singer of SCARIOT, who sounds very much like Warrel Dane at his best, the comparision is obvious.
So much for the style. When it comes to songwriting, it seems to me that where Dane had his roots and influences in early prog rock, Stensland has his influences in his own genre, namely US power metal. This is an old trap, and those who falls in it, often fail to create the unique sound one always strifes for. COMMUNIC does, sad to say, also fall slightly for this trap. There aren't much here one hasn't heard before. Not that it's a law against not being original, but as a critic, I feel I must mention it.
The songs are, however, of high quality. Especially the title song is a piece of kick ass metal, and when Stensland takes it up, I am very close to getting goosebumps. However, I feel that the distance between the really good songs on the album, such as the mentioned "Under A Lumious Sky" and "My Bleeding Victim" and the less interesting songs, ie "At Dewy Prime" is a bit too far, and I am not all that impressed. At least not in comparision to what I thought this album would be. But, for fans of US power metal and the first COMMUNIC album, this is of course a safe buy.
This album is also reviewed by Nash Rothanburg (AJ. - ed.)
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