Ferium – Reflections (Transcend Music)

Wednesday, 26th March 2014
Rating: 6.5/10

A slurry of all things modern, Israel’s Ferium immediately grab one’s attention with their killer album artwork. The colors really pop and the style really helps it standout among other metal releases, plus that rhino-creature just looks cool. Their introductory full-length, Reflections, was initially released in 2013 independently, and is seeing a current distribution through Transcend Music.

Taking cues from bands like Meshuggah and Lamb of God and tossing in some deathcore and slight progressive hues, Reflections seems to sum up what many bands are trying for in modern metal. The problem is that there is little that has been done to create their own identity along the way. You can take a checklist as you listen to any track and jot down the varied influences and you’re left with little else. There’s the djenty riffing of “Change of Winds,” the progressive instrumental “The Black Eyes,” and the straight-forward chugging of “Business on Demand” for starters. Thankfully, the band had the forthright knowledge to avoid the cliché deathcore breakdowns, giving us some meaty groove instead (“Blood”).

It may seem a bit presumptuous to some, but the sheer number of f-bombs dropped on Reflections is disheartening. An occasional one here or there is fine (and can strengthen emotions in a song), but it does dampen the intelligent message behind any lyrics with incessant use. As a teacher, there are far more eloquent ways of stating you are angry that resorting to a barrage of cursing. Leave that to the nu-metal, angsty teenagers (or screamo or rap, who knows what those crazy kids are all about these days).

While Ferium’s blend of modern subgenres is by no means bad, nothing truly stands out. Since it is a debut, they’ve got plenty of time to sand down the rough edges and carve out their own sound. A tad more progressive and a tad less ‘core should do these guys pretty right.

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