Review of Cerberus - What Have We Become?

In 1962, a spokesperson for Decca Recording Company was quoted as saying, “We don’t like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out.” That group my friends became known worldwide as The Beatles, and as we all know they went on to make a fortune. I’ve heard the same thing said about melodic death metal a number of times over recent years. But you know what? It’s still fucking here! And even though it’s not music that will get you rich by any stretch of the imagination, it simply will not go away; not if Cerberus has anything to say about it.

Leaving almost every last ounce of their thrash sound in the dust, this band has built off of that experience and are brandishing a solidly executed version of melodic death metal. These cats make their home in LA, and although their homeland roots are evident in their musical attack, there’s no denying these lads love their Scandinavian influences and could care less who knows it. These songs are not necessarily brutal but eloquently served in the form of moderately standard riffs with melodies over the top that breathe life into a genre full of "wannabes and has beens". With this simply being a short five song trip down melodic death lane, it’s a sure sign that Cerberus has found a sound they like and are prepared to exploit it within their means. With the opening song, "Falling Empire", flying past at a fuming pace for most of the song this quintet shows they can slow down and show off their acoustic ability. "Obsidian", probably my favorite song on this platter of crush, follows with a very energetic opening riff that is complimented beautifully by a furious blast beat attack. But what puts this song over the top are the poignant and touching melodies played atop a simple but true metal riff that is a clear winner in my book. Our title track is next and has the chunkiest into the pit back breaker on the whole album that leads into a guitar solo that truly displays how talented this group can be. "In Contempt", though not quite up there in standards of songwriting as the rest of the album, is certainly a good track. "The Answer" closes out this EP with a slow grinding riff spawning a really cool melodic lick that fits to perfection, certainly another one of my favorites.

Although some fans of the band may not like the direction Cerberus has gone with What Have We Become?, I personally feel they’ve discovered which recipe works best for them and they’re ready to run with it. Let it be known that I am behind them 100%. The production on this one is not as clear and concise as I'd like it to be, but it’s definitely a step up from their first full length release, The Cage of Existence. I’m positive that if they can improve on that when they follow this up with what I'm guessing will be their next full length release, being somewhat cautious not to over do it with a cookie cutter prod, they will undoubtedly make an imprint on this genre and raise some eyebrows. Fans of At the Gates, older In Flames and The Crown will eat this shit up.

Release Details

Cerberus

What Have We Become?

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