It’s actually been a couple of months since I reviewed some Christian metal core on Facedown Records, so why not get back into things with the debut album from a band whose introductory EP last year grabbed my attention with its no nonsense, almost All Shall Perish styled delivery  of brimstone, metallic sermons.

Unfortunately though, Lights and Perfections, despite being a tight, vicious little release, never quite builds on the potential of the EP, as it seems to simply tread a little water and meld right in next to the many other like minded Christian metal acts plying this style. To put it succinctly- the covers of the two releases kind of sum up my opinion of the music; The Winepress had an friggin’ apocalyptic angel army swooping down over a nuclear explosion on Earth, while Light And Perfections has a CG cover reminiscent of the last Hands release- cold, clinical and even a change in the band’s logo from swirly and epic to ….cold and clinical also.

Admittedly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the album; it shreds with a nice, confident pace and as far as Christian metal goes, it’s one of the more direct and scathing releases around, but it does little to elevate the band or the genre. The slicing, frenetic guitar work is solid, the vocals are croon free growls and rasps and the production is punchy and polished. But despite all those positive elements, the album just isn’t throttling me like I had hoped. It’s  sort of a Christian version of Wretched‘s recent release in a way. It’s certainly not a bad release and when the likes of “Salt and Wrath”, “Sight and Sensation”  and “Shackles and Ember” erupt from my headphones I’m shredding right along on my air guitar, but there’s just that lack of ‘it’ to make it something better, something special.  And its something I feel the band is capable of and reach Darkest Hour and August Burns Red fan bases, as they certainly have that aura about them at times.

It’s a shame Lights and Perfections isn’t a little more developed and special,  because Christian metal could use some no bullshit intensity like this, as The Burial avoid most of the typical Christian metal tropes and focus on very competent metal. Even  though a few acoustic tangents suddenly break up a few of the songs, but other wise the entire release is pretty blistering from start to finish. That all being said, I’ve got a niggling feeling that this one will grow on me at some point in the future.

 

 

 

 

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