Review of Marionette - Spite

Synopsis:

A melodic death metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden drenched in eye liner, dressed in suits and claiming Japanese “visual kei” influences (whatever that is)? Sound like a train wreck, right? Wrong. This is the best melodic death metal release I’ve heard in many years.

Review:

Formed in 2005, Marionette basically come from the modern, synth heavy, almost metalcore/hardcore based form of modern melo-death as played by the likes of Sonic Syndicate and Blinded Colony, but (mostly) free from the commercial, poppy, clean vocals. Most might simply compare the band to the likes of Bleeding Through due to the image and synths, and that’s certainly a viable option for the inexperienced or close minded, but on a songwriting level Marionette tend to be more in line with early Detonation.

Looks not with standing, Marionette certainly know how to write the style of their hometown and inject it with a modern energy and urgency, that’s been either missing for years or simply swallowed up by Americanized core-isms. Sure this will appeal to the Bleeding Through crowd, but at its heart the underlying riff work is far more intricate and melodic. For example, listen to the start of “Flies”, “Closed Doors”, “Burn” and superb melodies of “Black Hand” and closer “This is the End” and tell me that isn’t some of the best and classical sounding Gothenburg riffage this side of In Flames/Dark Tranquillity’s heyday, but beefier and less flowery. Starting with the energetic “Parasite”, each of the twelve admittedly similar tracks delivers a veritable assault of tightly played, high octane, controlled, melodic riffage and Axel Widén’s expected screams and growls, and only a minimal sprinkling in clean croons (i.e.“Legion”).

Armed with a sound mixed and mastered by Christian Silver (Sonic Syndicate, By Night, The Crown) Spite sounds as polished and pristine as you’d’ expect, though I simply don’t hear any sort of Japanese/Eastern influences or hues, as laid out in the band’s bio. Still, Spite is a very satisfying album, and one that seems to perfectly meld modern metal and classic melodic death metal.

Release Details

Marionette

Spite

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