Trials are a modern metal band from Chicago. They’re not bad but their style of music is somewhat predictable; clean vocals, Pantera riffs, weird gothic talking and radio friendly everything else.
Modern metal bands are a mixed bag, on one hand they can deliver extremely catchy music (All That Remains), but on the other, well they can also be very boring (Bullet For My Valentine). Trials however are not boring as they do, in fact, follow the All That Remains, Disturbed, Diecast -formula, splicing their music up with technical musicianship and a ton of nods to the old school. Are they a great band? Fuck No! But for what it’s worth, the album is good enough for a one time listen.
Witness to The Downfall is the name of this turd and it stinks with originality. I’m joking, but the progressive patterns in each song give the music a sort of fresh appeal. In fact one would be hard pressed to fine a more innovative modern metal act nowadays. Assuming one cares enough to check out this album, they will be getting technical thrash stylings in “This Is Starvation,” black metal riff-age in “Shadows and Traps,” and a sweet part in “And Still I Breathe” filled with classic guitar noodlings. To be honest, that’s it. The rest of the songs find themselves drenched in the same pattern and most of them follow the simple – verse, chorus, verse structure. Especially on “Hammer” which feels as if it’s built for the radio. Sure its not a bad thing per se but it does tend to get on the grating side. It’s modern metal and one knows what to expect.
The rest of the album contains a shitload of clean vocals that are really biker bar-ish, and even more nu-metal tendencies. The production is top notch for a self-released album and all the instruments sound crisp and clean. Another issue is that the songs seem to go on longer than need be. There’s parts during a few of the longer tracks where it sounds as if the song ended, but nope, they just keeping going like an Energizer Bunny. Long modern metal songs are not fun — remember Chimaira? Stretched songs in this field are never engaging and fun to listen to.
Unless you’re a modern metal, ozzfest going, hot topic wearing person, I would steer clear of this. But if your open-minded and want to take a quick gander then by all means check this album out and give it that single worthy play-through.
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Find more articles with 2011, Jesse Wolf, Metalcore, Review, Self-Released, Trials
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wait, Disturbed offer tons of nods to the old school?
on Jul 19th, 2011 at 10:29Hey man, Mark from Trials here. Spot-on review, I gotta say. But to shit-talk us after praising Dr. Acula? Clearly you were molested.
on Jul 22nd, 2011 at 09:11pwned
on Jul 22nd, 2011 at 15:57Haven’t heard this one but the new album smokes. And if this sounds anything like their current sound this review seems inaccurate in how they are described musically.
on Jul 24th, 2015 at 19:13