Rectify
Have Mercy...
5.7
Citing Kickback and Arkangel as influences, Netherland's Rectify merge 80's/90's thrash riffing with comparatively catchy grooves. Although it might come across as sort of boring to the average metal fan, those more in touch with hardcore and what's classically referred to as metalcore may find Have Mercy... to appeal to their rawer side.
After the fair introduction and a less than outstanding first song, "Compete To Ruin" has a total stripped down feel with an obvious nod to Slayer that only slows down during a somewhat sour, but satisfying, breakdown. The vocals range from aggressive to having a ridiculous quality in the same way that made Gorefest so entertaining. They never get annoying, so needless to say, that's definitely a big plus in my book. "Indifference of Good People", again, has the fast riffing, but on this song we're given a slower break that honestly reminds me of something you'd hear off of the first High On Fire record. Whether unintentional or not, I'm pretty satisfied with it. "Longing To Be" is noticeably more melodic than any other track and appears to have more depth and feeling than a lot of the other bland thrashy songs by balancing the melodic section with a heavier and more traditional mosh part. Fortunately the album, which starts out sort of weak, gets progressively better, perhaps peaking with "Evil By Nature", a cruel-sounding anthem that begs you to stomp around your tiny apartment with little regard towards your neighbors. The production holds back Rectify quite a bit, sounding fuzzy like a demo recording. So while this isn't the style of music that necessitates total clarity, it'd be kind of nice to hear if there were any more subtle nuances that were being performed.
It's just sort of boring, good, but boring. I still dig it, though. These guys have potential to really do something, but I'm afraid they're just playing music that's borrowing outdated and drawn out influences. It's irritating because there's a lot of solid riffs, but for the most part, they're unable to go anywhere with them. The poor production doesn't help too much either. I think Rectify needs to do some outside consulting and reassess their strengths, which lie in some of the slower sections of Have Mercy..., and maybe return with an altered aim. As it is, I'm just left with a lukewarm impression and the urge to go take a nap.
