Blinded By Faith
Weapons Of Mass Distraction
7.6
Weapons of Mass Distraction is the sophomore release from the Canadian act Blinded by Faith, but it is my introduction to the band – and I like what I hear. They play a capable, high-octane blend of speed and melodic black metal. I hear equal parts of Shade Empire, Dimmu Borgir, and Children of Bodom. At times they go for a more symphonic black metal atmosphere with dominant keyboards, but that is balanced by songs that are faster and more carefree.
“Global Denial” comes at you aggressively, with overbearing and overproduced drumwork, but the song is still fun, even if the chorus is pulled straight out of the COB playbook. On the whole, the studio mix is well-balanced and a little fuzzy. The vocals of Tommy Demers cover the basic black/death spectrum of growls and screams, but on “An Ordinary Day” he throws in a few cleanly-sung lines that sound like Burton of Fear Factory. This song illustrates what Blinded by Faith does well: fast songs with plenty of tempo shifts, varied vocals, nifty melodic lead guitar, and effective keyboard usage, all while managing to maintain a grandiose feeling. On slower songs like “Consortium Y2K” and “The Dead Don’t Talk”, they really ratchet up the somber, melodic black metal elements that are best exemplified by Anorexia Nervosa.
Galy Records have done themselves a favor by acquiring Blinded by Faith. While some of their influences are glaringly apparent, they combine styles seamlessly, with the ease of a band with years more experience. Weapons of Mass Distraction is certainly worth a listen for those who demand energy in their modern metal.
