Credic – Vermillion Oceans (Black Lion Records)
Monday, 18th April 2022
An interesting Walt Disney quote appears in the press release for Southern German melodic death metal act Credic for their latest album Vermillion Oceans. ‘For every laugh, there should be a tear’ is the quote on hand – guitarist Oliver Ecke attributing this to creating touching music in a style maybe not normally seen in this manner. Choosing to build off a Gothenburg-styled influence tree, these ten tracks blend a driving ferocity with heightened synthesizer accents from the 80’s, the grooves, hooks, and riffs power-packed to ensure maximum heightened impact.
Stories of love and woe, longing and despair, uncertainty and hope, they all penetrate in the gut-wrenching growls and piercing screams launching forth from vocalist Stefan Scheu. Circular mid-tempo twin guitar harmonies courtesy of Andreas Steinle and Oliver Ecke make “Darkened Fields” an early favorite, while the pulsating synth/electronic accents against a primal, churning musical platform bursts into semi-modern groove metal segments for the follow-up “The Path”. Haunting soundtrack vibes match some melodic death/blackened tremolo picking during “Tethys Mix”, a three-minute and change instrumental that adds left-field dynamics before the crunchier, jackhammer precision of closer “Long Street” sends shockwaves in the sky, drummer Waldemar Janzen throwing down some progressive percussion movements against a driving backbone template. Favorites change by the day – but it’s hard not to get swept up by the blasting to mid-tempo stomp against higher harmony runs during “Interhuman Gravity” that takes the best of classic At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity to next level dimensions.
Confident in proper abilities that their instrumental skills deliver, Credic now ascends into creating a bit of their own niche through the history of melodic death metal to enjoy some experimental soundtrack/synth nuances for Vermillion Oceans. If a record like Haven appeased your sense of Dark Tranquillity establishing their own identity away from the ‘Gothenburg’ sound and its norms, these Germans will also appeal to your tastes.
