Beltfed Weapon
Peacekeeper
6.2
Though unsigned, one would never know this about Beltfed Weapon after a once-over of the Seattle-based band’s second EP, Peacekeeper. The riffs are catchy, the production clear, and the leads tastily technical. They’re even managing their own merch page. If that doesn’t scream professional then I don’t know what does.
Despite any label backing, these death thrashers have managed to record 5 slick tunes by their damn selves. One look at their musical influences and you’ll get an idea what Peacekeeper sounds like. It’s got the intensity of Sepultura and, at times, the dynamics of mid-era Slayer, but there’s also a death metal sheen that captures the brutal assault of Suffocation and the Swedish groove of Entombed. To be fair, no amount of band-checking could ever encapsulate the unique characteristics of any one band, but it works particularly well in this instance, and is not meant as a knock on this effort.
As solid as Peacekeeper has proven to be, it does have a notable flaw; there needs to be more variation. Most songs clock in at around the 4 minute mark and stick to roughly the same pace. Fittingly enough, the one song where the band plays around with varying speeds (“Terrorist Scum”) is also the strongest, and perhaps that’s what makes it all the more frustrating. Had Beltfed Weapon given these songs more room to breathe, the dynamism they often flirt with could have led to something akin to Schizophrenia territory, which would have made for a more compelling listen, at least to these ears. Nevertheless, chalk this one up as a good but not great success.
