Posted on: October 8, 2012 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

 

The style of music that Speakers For The Dead start out their “Finally” is the same style that a number of nu rock bands have started their disc. There are the same styles, ropey guitars, and smooth vocals that have littered many a 10 Years, Slipknot, Disturbed, and Godsmack track. The one strength that individuals can immediately hear is that Speakers For The Dead have spared no expense getting the most professional production that they can find.

“Finally” is a track that does have a past referent; the band is not trying to merely ape what is popular, but do take notes from Venom, Slayer, and Metallica before them. Throwing in a little Tool for good measure, no one can quibble with Speakers For The Dead’s musical pedigree. The guitar work that is threaded throughout “Finally” is something that distinguishes the band from the rest of the acts trying to make a buck in this genre. The one thing that could be modified would be the presence of the bass in the track; Speakers For The Dead would be much better off if they adopted a To My Surprise bass presence. The fact that a track like “Far” can have an extended instrumental lead-in gives me faith that Speakers For The Dead can continue to innovate in a field that has been done to death by hacks. “Far” has the lead singer trying to push eir vocals a little too far; instead of just sounding strained, ey pushes so hard that each word is punctuated, something that breaks up the momentum of the track.

This is a minor stumbling block on the disc, as the band included a chunky bass line to give this track a fuller sound than “Finally”. “No Wrong” is perhaps the one Speaker For The Dead track that is firmly inculcated in the operative period of their influences. While there are segments on “No Wrong” where the band is playing a brand of music that is current, the majority of the track shows the band’s love for acts like Pantera, Faith No more, and even Queensryche. Speakers For The Dead have the production, they have the skills, and they have the desire to make it big through their own merit. All it takes is a fanbase to push them into prominence, and I believe that is something that will come to Speakers For The Dead as soon as more individuals are able to listen in.

Top Tracks: Finally, No Wrong

Rating: 6.5/10

[JMcQ]

Speakers For The Dead – Prey For Murder / 2006 Magna Carta / 12 Tracks / http://www.speakersforthedeadmusic.com / http://www.magnacarta.net / Reviewed 10 July 2006

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