Shatterpoint
Consequences
5.5
I got nothing but respect for bands that release self produced and financed demos, especially ones that are professional looking and fairly decently recorded (Metal Queen is more of a management company than a true label). However, there’s often a reason why these bands are unsigned, and in the case of Shatterpoint its one glaring fact; Metallica already have a record deal and most metal heads already own Practice What You Preach.
This six track self released EP, while well done, is a beefy sort of Bay Area thrash with a hint of hardcore and death metal, and while the effort is commendable, I don’t see this kind of music as that viable anymore unless you’re an established thrash metal legend by the name of Testament, Metallica or Anthrax.
Stout chunky riffs, James Hetfield/Chuck Billy combination vocals and a glaring lack of dynamics make for a pretty rudimentary if nostalgic listen that’s a solid homage but not much more.
The tracks are surprisingly lengthy, which only serves to enforce their relative lack of real attention getting material. “Crashing Down” utilizes Testament's heavier Demonic leaning both musically and vocally along with some typically histrionic soloing that just kinda sounds stuck slapshot in the middle of the song. Shatterpoint seem to have a slight identity crisis as they sometimes seem to dip one timid foot into almost death metal waters with some deep growls and such and then shy away and revert to a safer form of thrash metal, just check the spilt personality of “Ended by Silence” - are you death metal or thrash? I’m not sure, and neither is committed enough to dictate a full future direction. The Bay Area Forbidden-isms of the title track again brings to question the band's true loyalties and influences with strained clean vocals. The thrash clichés continue as Shatterpoint try their hand and the moody ballad with “As I Die”, littered with its somber spoken word is no “One” or “The Ballad”, but wants to be.
I’ve heard far worse demos, as Shatterpoint have a production that belies their unsigned status, and they are capable musicians, but their chosen style is essentially a musical fossil that holds little more value than a throwback jaunt down memory lane, and won’t compete with today’s more visceral thrash.
Keep at it though lads.
