Re-Armed – The Era of Precarity

[schema type=”review” name=”Re-Armed – The Era of Precarity” description=”Label: Saarni Records” author=”Juho Karila” pubdate=”2016-09-30″ ]

Re-Armed is a death/thrash metal band from southern Finland. Their trademark sound consists of low-toned guitars that produces technical riffs that go hand in hand with the precise drum thunder and growly vocals. Their third album is called is called The Era of Precarity and it leaves no one cold from this point of expectations.

While most of thrash metal takes me out of my comfort zone too far and I fail to see the point in the music, TEoP appeals by not bending to the limitations of only one genre and that makes calling Re-Armed as only death/thrash very misleading. Sure they have those elements but they borrow also from melodeath in a way that makes them so intresting and intriguing for a wider audience. And because of that, I can suggest any fans of groovy and melodic technical metal to give a shot at The Era of Precarity even if death/thrash wasn’t your thing.

The first track, Lullaby of Obediance after the instrumental intro, also tells that the first album to feature guitarist Mika Oinonen (ex-1 Logic, System Horizon) is the most mature of works from this metal patrol. The song kicks off fast and fierce with some really groovy riffs that reminds pleasantly of The Scourger. When the chorus comes, the pace changes a bit and the track reveals to be probably the most melodic one we’ve heard from the band so far.

Followed by Through the Barricades the bands takes a turn to even darker tone with blastbeats and easing a bit with the melodies. This is more traditional Re-Armed but it keeps up intrest ’til the end with making no compromises in the technical and groovy drum-guitar seamless work. With Riot Act the same intensity continues as a testament of the band’s strong points. Everything simply works together so perfectly.

Ivory Towers, the track number 5, is one of my personal favorites because it’s a little bit softer one, but just a pinch. The same formula continues but it offers maybe a little bit more melodies by having an extremely catchy chorus that’s sure to make your head banging subconsciously before the verse rolls in again.

Years of Decay features acoustic guitars and softens the mood a by giving a moment to catch a breather, and while it doesn’t really differ from the previous ones, it’s enough to maintain intrest to carry on towards the other tracks.

The fact, that every track is almost equally as strong, makes it hard to critisize the album because every track is equally as strong and fits perfectly to the album. Except Three Headed Beast, which is just over a minute long and a real full-blown ass kicking with sharp shredding and very fast blastbeat beatdown. Too bad it’s also the least imaginative and clearly more a filler than an actual track.

It also works as a bit of a watershed because Evolve Cycle takes us closer to melodeath with beautiful tapping leads and calms the beating a bit every now and then. Once again bringing memories of The Scourger, synths that are vague but noticable enough to add to the overall depressing soundscape, brings a tone of epicness; the end is nigh. The Aftermath continues this line by adding a small synth lead to the previous beating.

It’s hard to say if the melodic side strikes me more fancy than the groovy one and I’m delighted to hear that this kind of records are being made. Nearly a flawless diamond, Re-Armed has come up with an album which shows excellent prowess in songwriting and handling very dynamic variety of genres and styles in a way that leaves only hungry for more. Only a few moments in the album feels like now they’ve gone astray from their way of bringing us metal which they should be proud of. And even that doesn’t bother, because after a less original and remarkable riff or song, comes something mindblowing.

Less thrashy blasts and blastbeats without complexity of technical riffs or melodic leads, like in Three Headed Beast & Purification and we are talking about a masterpiece of modern day hybrid metal.

Lineup:
Mika Oinonen – Guitars
Iiro Karjalainen – Drums
Juhana Heinonen – Bass
Jouni Matilainen – Vocals
Jussi Venäläinen – Guitars

Tracklist: 1. Novus Ordo Seclorum 2. Lullaby of Obedience 3. Through The Barricades 4. Riot Act 5. Ivory Towers 6. Years of Decay 7. Three Headed Beast 8. Evolve Cycle 9. The Aftermath 10. Cursed Beyond Belief 11. Purification 12. The Hunt Is On!

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