Review of Fear My Thoughts - Vulcanus

The last two Fear My Thoughts albums have received consistent play on my Ipod for the last couple of years. Their chunky and abrasive take on melodic death metal has made for an enjoyable listen. With that being said, the new release, Vulcanus, doesn’t give me that same level of excitement, and I’m at a loss for words as to why. The same formula is employed here as on Hell Sweet Hell, so perhaps I feel like I’ve heard this all before.

Of course, a reliable and expected FMT performance tops much of the third-rate pap that has passed in and out of my collection. Longtime fans may have a different reaction to Vulcanus. From an aural standpoint, the album has a strong and bassy sound and tight production – one benefit of being on the Century Media roster. Mathias’s vocals vary between a hollow clean delivery, and a hoarse, harsh shout, the way that Soilwork sounded in their early days. Electronics are slipped in here and there to good effect, notably on “Gates to Nowhere.”

A punchy riff hits right off the bat on the opener “Accompanied by Death”, instantly identifying this as a FMT album. Something a little different is employed in “Culture of Fear”, as a layered clean guitar repeats throughout the song, sounding a little like Opeth. Even when they dig in their claws and get heavy, the song still comes off as more epic than their usual fare. The title track is a full-length instrumental that is one of the more complete tunes on the album. Much of the rest follows their standard style of mid- to fast-paced, chord-heavy guitar lines with thundering bass in the background. These are broken up by slower bridges and choruses that are often sung cleanly.

There really isn’t too much to criticize on Vulcanus, except the fact that I would reach for one of their earlier works before this. Modern melodic death fans will find something to like on this release, and old fans of the band should be pleased that the band stayed in their comfort zone.

Release Details

Fear My Thoughts

Vulcanus

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