Liste der Bands Melodic Death Adrenal As Paradise Burns

Costa Rica? Stuck in Central America between two huge bodies of water, they're called oceans, everyone has heard the name but few have been there (well, at least I haven’t). What does anyone know about this small country? Not much I guess. Most of us probably picture some scenic sandy beaches and that's probably all that comes to mind.

Metal scene there? I guess there is one! First Spirit of Metal has 96 bands coming from this small country but frankly I had never listened to any one of them. Until now. Adrenal have just released their debut and they’re ready to take the world on . Out of the blue, this band just gave birth to an album without any demo or anything prior to this. Only judging by the professionalism of the CD and the musical content it’s hard to think that these guys decided to play and record something all of the sudden. Formed in 2006, the band honed its skills until now and “As Paradise Burns” is not an amateur record.

Playing Melodic Death Metal when most bands of this part of the world have given their soul to brutal and bestial Death Metal a la Hacavitz or worse to Goregrind, this CD will bring back reminiscences of bands like Arch Enemy and the likes.

The least we could say is that it’s professionally produced. Maybe a bit too much to my own peculiar taste but the expected audience for such music probably wouldn't want it any other way. Three vocals share the spot: harsh vocals, Death Metal growls and the inevitable female clean singer. Not that I didn't appreciate the catchy parts where she sings. The duality of the more extreme vocals will make one thing about Carcass. Obviously not Symphonies Of Sickness' era but rather Heartwork and so does the guitar work with undertones of NWOBHM that’d make one think of Iron Maiden.

The majority of the songs have this very modern Melodeath edge which for most Death Metal fans have been a legitimate turn off propelling the subgenre into a very definite genre of its own. Still Adrenal haven’t turned into an all pop machine and you'll be glad to read that some brutality (especially in the closing track ‘Entropy’) still remains. And let's not blame them for being a tad too mainstream because they probably never wanted to be the next underground sensation.

A few tracks appeal to more introspective sides with mucho acoustic strings but well done so that it doesn’t feel like filler but rather brings some nice atmosphere.

People that usually read me (if any) know that I do usually prefer the Old-School Death Metal onslaught but this one record I considered to be quite enjoyable and still do think so. Replay value is high as the choruses tend to stick into your head and there's nothing really "disgusting" about the whole music. For a debut album, they're certainly bound to make a good impression on all Melodeath fans and beyond and if you get the chance to acquire it, go for it.