Always excited to chart progress in acts previously under the microscope at this site, Three Dead Fingers returns following up their debut album Breed of the Devil with All Worlds Apart – signing a new deal with Art Gates Records in the process. Intertwining a mix of melodic death/thrash and groove/modern metal principles, now having a couple more years of time and experience under their belts, this scribe hopes for a more cohesive sound overall.
After the “Mr. Mort” intro that features calm electric guitars, Swedish talking, and EDM-oriented feedback, the punishing “A Madman’s Lullaby” tears through your speakers – featuring caustic vocals a la Max from Sepultura meets alternative/emo during the clean sections, a steady supply of slamming riffs/drums in thrash/death twists. Many of the drum/guitar combinations definitely explore the groove/alternative metal side of things – when acts like Soulfly or Lamb of God crop up in terms of the breakdowns, low-tuned chugging, and vicious growls/screams that make “Freakshow” and the title track massive pit worthy contenders. The bluesy fingerpicking throughout “The Albino Trees” illustrates a left-field angle that grabs more velocity once turning on the distortion charm – Amon Amarth and Arch Enemy turned on a stoner angle that should be worth exploring as it is quite distinctive. The experimentation appears in oddball spots – the bass/drum rhythmic clicking for “Stone Window Cow(ard)” builds outward into another alternative, sludge-oriented metal effort, the lead break from Henrik Backlund exemplary in its tasty shredding while the subsequent guitar harmonies giving off a huge Machine Head texture. Where the previous outing may have had some struggles in the cleaner sections vocal-wise, this record sticks to the strengths of groove and flowing riffs/tempos, aligning the melodic parts only when needed or necessary.
All Worlds Apart shows Three Dead Fingers moving many steps forward in establishing their own take on these sub-genres. Considering they’re still in their teenage years, the future could look quite bright for them going into their third full-length.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGMuXWm25X4&authuser=0