The debut album release by Norwich based band SoulBorn, 'Crash & Burn' is a relentless collection of 'Southern' style metal. Drawing influences from a varied collection of peers including Metallica, Alice in Chains, Rage Against The Machine and Pantera, the band have crafted a sound that is both familiar and yet hard to label. One area that is not in doubt though is the bands ability to deliver a set of heavy and hard hitting tracks, which is exactly what we have on 'Crash & Burn.'
Opening the nine track album is Fill The Void, that after building quietly explodes into life with strong riffs and aggressive vocals that define the rest of the release. This is quickly followed by one of the early standout tracks on the album 'Beck & Call', which really demonstrates the Southern groove the band have developed their growing reputation on.
Throughout the remainder of the album the band continue to deliver their trademark sound with other tracks worthy of mention including Penitent Man for which the band have also produced an accompanying video and the short but relentless Systems. As well as the crunching riffs though, the band do deliver on the melodic front as well, with an acoustic section halfway through Light Of Death and of course the Southern groove in general helps to maintain a distinct melody throughout.
With Crash & Burn, SoulBorn have delivered an album that offers a very solid collection of heavy metal tracks. The various influences that have inspired the band are identifiable throughout and this combined with the southern undertones, helps to give SoulBorn their own sound. With this debut album SoulBorn have given themselves a strong platform to build on and where they go from here will be a journey all fans of metal will want to keep an eye on.
7/10 - review by Chris
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