Lightning
Filthy Human Beings
6.3
Lightning, as a moniker, seems more fitting for a thrash, speed, or power metal band – not a death metal one from Spain – but nevertheless here they are with their Xtreem Music full-length Filthy Human Beings, which took them only 16 years to release. While competent, Lightning’s lack of personality and other desirables relegate them to a tier much lower than the first.
Though there’s nothing inherently wrong with Filthy Human Beings on a base level, the music is what you could expect from an above average DM band, but no more. The production is complementary to the style, lending an organic sound to the instrumentation that is at times too fuzzy, while the musicianship warrants no complaining whatsoever; in fact, the latter can be reasonably extolled for talent, precision, control, etc. The problem then, is that this comes across as a tepid, kind of stock regurgitation of everything that’s been done before, even if the songs themselves are well constructed and the occasional likeness to early ‘90s tech death is endearing. There’s no real need to mention specific songs – each is a three, four, or five-minute exercise in which you’ll hear plenty of standard properties such as raspy vocals, distorted guitars, and nimble drumming. Simply put: Lightning fail to strike with their ill-titled, 41-minute debut.
