Review of Commander - Wall of Swords

This is such a confusing EP on so many levels, and it’s hard to convey why in any understandable terms. It seems like Commander’s aim is to take that traditional Bay Area thrash sound and make it malleable enough to exist within the current metal scene without being irrelevant. Think Watch Them Die without the pummeling production work and sweeping guitars. Wall of Swords is a six song EP, and I admit outright that I was hooked from the beginning. There’s an interesting, almost tribal drumbeat, with some voice-over narration by vocalist Chris (no last names listed on the group’s website). A transition is made where the gruff singing turns into deathlike vocals, and it’s a complete turn off. Call me ignorant, but I fail to understand why that vocal change was necessary, especially considering Chris’s excellent take on James Hetfield. The riffs, on the other hand, while choppy and rough in patches, can be downright insane. John proves a talented guitarist, and the occasional breaks serve to highlight his sense of creativity; fairly impressive stuff. What lies at the heart of my relative ambivalence toward this album is its approach. Good thrash can fit into one of two categories. The first: pure aggression, speed, and violence. The second: sweeping, epic, and melancholic. Commander is neither fast nor epic. A few good riffs here and there won’t be enough to get the metal public to take notice, especially when said band play a genre that everyone likes to shit on these days. There’s no cohesion on Wall of Swords, no consistent sound. Some songs, like “Skullclamp,” seem like they could benefit from being cut into four quarters, because the tempo seems to change every other minute. John will take us as listeners in one direction only to make a complete 180 as our interests reach a peak. It’s like planting something that doesn’t pay off. While there are consistent songs like their take on Judas Priest's “Breaking the Law,” which sounds like the product of both the aforementioned group and Anthrax, they are few and far between. For example, the worst song follows “Breaking the Law” on the album, which isn’t exactly a way to build momentum. After all, it is the EP’s last song. According to their website, Commander will have already finished another recording by the end of this year, so we’ll all get a chance to see how much improvement this band has made since the release of this EP. Here’s hoping the production improves and the group sounds a bit tighter, because as it stands now, the only elements preventing Commander from excelling are its schizophrenic song structures and lack of studio budget.

Release Details

Commander

Wall of Swords

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