Kinetic
The Chains That Bind Us
5.5
Believe it or not, the life of a reviewer isn't all it's cracked up to be. Amidst all the glory, adoration of fat men with greasy hair, and free coasters/fun shit to put in the microwave, there lies a darker side to the art. And what...is this darker side? Well, it's sort of like...when you're forced to listen to something that you really couldn't care less about. Like some band from Greece with a tedious approach to a style that's been exploited in its entirety.
Looking around other websites to see what sort of reception the band got from other websites, I'm completely astonished. I guess I'm the only person here who just finds this sort of shit to be pretty uninteresting. While Kinetic really aren't deserving of any sort of harsh criticism, they're heavily praised from site to site. One review compares them to Sadus, Coroner, Arch Enemy, and Death. They don't sound like any of them. Maybe Arch Enemy in a thoughtless way, and there's a passage or two that's sort of progressive in a Death kind of way. But Sadus? No. Coroner? God, no. These are bands that pioneered a sound and shaped metal the way we currently know it. The palm-muted guitarwork might suggest a nod or two towards the previously mentioned bands, but it doesn't come close to the level of quality those acts exhibited at one point. More than likely, it's the strong presence of some mildly innovative basswork that phases in and out of the release that causes such far-reaching harkening to a few of those revolutionary bands.
The Chains That Bind Us is an arduous listen. Not because it sucks. It doesn't suck. But it's...well, boring. The vocals are sort of croaked out and gritty, maybe a little like Soilwork's minus any variation. The solos are flashy, generally played over uninteresting riffs, and drone on for far too long, as the rhythms sound like they were composed on a drum machine. The rest of the music is just...melodic thrash; lifeless, nondescript, and forgettable. I'll give them credit where credit is due, however. It's more honest than a lot of the shit that's out right now. The riffs were constructed from a NWOBHM standpoint and it's plainly obvious. Good riffs too, complete with pleasing harmonies. It's just the less than stellar structure that becomes problematic. Sure, it's talented playing, but there's no incentive to dig it up.
So now I'm stuck, feeling like I've just spent quite a fair share of time listening to something I can't appreciate. But what about all the glowing reviews scattered about the internet? Am I missing something? Am I out of touch with what's considered "good" these days? After taking a few moments to even consider panicking, I can confidently say that The Chains That Bind Us just isn't that good - there's nothing to get and these people are probably getting paid or drunk. Luckily for me and for the band, I'm sure this review will just get lost in the endless sea of compliments these folks are gathering, day by day.
