So the new label of Skinlab, released this, the third full length album from Los Angeles’ Flatline earlier this year, and its been sitting on my Ipod since February , waiting to be reviewed, and to be honest I completely forgot about it, which tells you something about its quality.
Now, Pave the Way isn’t awful. It’s just generic and completely unoriginal form of Thrash/American metal that seems to have been keeping things warm until Skinlab in fact returned. Thick grooves, gruff vocals, some clean croons and melodies all rendered with a heavy dose of Pantera meets Killswitch Engage. It’s well produced, decently played and has some decent riffs here and there, but as an album Pave the Way just leaves me flat.
That all being said, I could see the market and audience for this release- fans of Lamb of God or even newer Throwdown could do worse for their stomping redneck metal, and at times Flatline crank out some solid riffage such as “Collapse”, the sheer Pantera worship of “Dying Breed” and “Worn Thin” and even spread their wings a bit on semi ballad “God as My Witness” But the whole thing sound so contrived and cookie cutter, you can’t help think of other acts, especially with Travis Johnson’s, throaty Phil Anslemo impersonation and occasional attempt at singing (“The Passing”).
While I’d rather listen to the likes of Better Left Unsaid or Antagonist, Flatline are certainly not horrible, and I may just be too harsh, but when you’ve got the likes of Obscura, Ulcerate, Augury and Asphyx in your Ipod also, its easy to look over something like this.
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“but when you’ve got the likes of Obscura, Ulcerate, Augury and Asphyx in your Ipod also, its easy to look over something like this.”
we are brothers, I’m sure of it…but there is a market for bands like Flatline and Skinlab, the “gateway” market. You don’t just wake up one morning in Junior high and go, “man I have to put on some Ulcerate!” You’ve got to start somewhere to appreciate the aforementioned bands.
on Jul 9th, 2009 at 14:49Yes its true you cant ninja mosh to the likes of Flatline.
But if your not 16 or younger, dont have to follow what everyone else in the scene is doing, and dont have your head up your ass, then you can appreciate the talent that Flatline has.
I love it when reviewers compare bands to the likes of LOG, and Pantera, and then say “well the band is ok”, how does that make any sense??
on Jul 12th, 2009 at 15:13