Backlashed bass

-- Perpetual --

03/07/2022
Stijn Daneels

Album genres:
Groove metal
Thrash Metal
Album artists:
Alan Durajewski Vocals
Mateusz Gorczynski Guitars, backing vocals
Mateusz Fryda Guitars
Jakub Milszewski Bass, backing vocals
Lukasz Raczkowski Drums

Review written by David Hardy.

Some thrash & groove metal from Poland, sent to us by our friends from Against PR. The band is quite young, being formed a mere six years ago and debuting in 2018 with an EP called “Blackening The Future” and now coming with a successor EP called “Backlash.” There isn’t much else I can tell here, so let’s jump straight into this!

THE DISCOVERY

The “Backlash” EP begins with its title track and that title track starts with an eerie, dark ambient intro, which is a rare occurrence for a “simple” EP. After that little intro sample the “Backlash” track unleashes some very badass and heavy guitar riffs with a voice that totally fits the EP’s groove & thrash metal style. Overall, I feel Perpetual is inspired by The Haunted and it’s quite nice. It groove and thrash but a little more ambitiously made thanks to the melodic and technical touches (particularly in the guitar tapping department). I do reproach one element of this song: the lack of bass prominence in the mix. You really have to go and actively listen for the basslines in order to take the measure of their importance! It's a pity because if the bass would’ve been a little put more forward at the level of equalization and in the layers, the “Backlash” track as a whole would’ve felt deeper and more powerful. Still, it’s a good track that makes you want to go further through this EP.

The next track is called "(Not) Importial words" and features backing vocals that give this song a solid boost and which remind me of Rage against the Machine! Other than that, the song feels pure groove with some guitar solos that feel more inspired compared to the earlier track but still not enough to convince me in its composition.

"Fourth Dimension" is a another nice track but this time I’ve felt that the toms of drummer Lukasz are too light, especially in the 2:00 part. This lack of impactful drum mixing causes a real lack of depth and cause this track to lose a lot of its power. But still, it peps rather well. Next up is the single “Incapacitated” one of the best songs on the EP (and also the shortest) and it’s a song that glues very well despite its traditional side. Once again it’s a little flat in the mix again it lacks a little air and depth and the bass is low to medium. But it’s an overall great song that doesn’t overstay its welcome and ticks off most of the groove & thrash metal boxes.

Then comes “The Unknown” the second standout track on Perpetual’s “Backlash” EP. It starts off softly and gains in power gradually and organically. The chosen audio effects are good, the vocals are impactful and the song’s final guitar solo is sweet. The final track, “Parallel Reality” closes the EP in very nicely. "Parallel Reality" closes in a very nice way the EP, it's a good and energetic tune with some solid thrashing aggression, effective backing & multi-vocals and finally some crisp basslines.

THE CONCLUSION

So, is this the EP of the century: no. Would I go on vacation with it? Maybe! Because in the end this “Backlash” EP is still a solid effort despite Perpetual having had several lineup changes between this release and its predecessor. There’s some well-written groove & thrash here, with some interesting reflecting in the terms of the singing. Let's say it's nice, but, I think Perpetual can give us something even more interesting if they employ a little more creativity, some more melodic and academic solos, and putting the bass more in the foreground.

While lacking in originality and missing some serious bass and drum emphasis in the mix, Perpetual’s new EP is an enjoyable piece of groove & thrash metal. If you enjoy those subgenres or the likes of The Haunted or Soulfly you may want to give this one a try.

THE SCORE

7/10