Band:
Vocals: Jo Johnsruf
Bass: William Fossheim
Guitars: Nils Stenmyren
Drums Mo: Dyani
Discography:
Debut
Guests:
Info:
Recorden in Hamar with Christian Liljan, Fredrik Ryberg
Daniel Bergstrand: mix and master
Released 27/5-2011
Reviewed 28/6-2011
Links:
myspace
last-fm
metalville
Musically I would say that they are a kind of modern somewhat thrashy kind of heavy metal that unlike many modern metal bands of similar type do not fall into the two-vocalist trap which involve one singer with clean vocals and another one with growls. The singer of Shraphead has a rather aggressive voice that borders on the thrashy side but still is somewhat clean beside the odd growling noise in one or two tracks. There are thirteen tracks on this album and the time it takes to play through it is fifty three minutes. The production and sound is rather modern, something towards Swedish band Scar Symmetry but without the pathetic singing duo and instead having just one voice which I find being better most of the time.
So what about Shraphead then? Are they any good? Will they do? Will they be the next big thing? Can you recommend them?
What about them? Sure they are, and not at the same time. It depends on what you will use them for, as a coaster the album will be great, it might work as a rudimentary mirror or just to annoy the neighbours with loud music. Maybe if you glue them to an ocean liner, I don’t know. Sure why not, I can also recommend Endstille or drinking acid, it all depends on what kind of recommendation you like to have.
I think this album is rather good, the songs work well and has a good sound and lots of power and energy. You are sort of riding along with it while you listen, and you sort of end with a good feeling when the album is over. But there is a problem, for some reason the songs won’t stay in your mind. I can best describe it as blowing someone’s head into little pieces so the brain substance and blood fly onto a wall of fibreglass that is there to prevent graffiti painting, it just slowly runs down to the floor with almost nothing remaining. And the only thing remaining is a carousel, which is a bit weird but that’s how it is.
It is strange that thing because it is good, both the vocals and the instrumental parts as well as the production. The only explanation is that combined these things create a cognitive vacuum and due to the pressure differential between the mind and the air outside everything just flies out of the mind and disperse into the air. That is the only explanation, if it is wrong I don’t know what else can cause it. What this means is that this album ends up being a rather typical four point album, it is good to listen to but it really does not grab you or give you anything to bring with you in life.
In the end I would say that this is a rather good album, I like to listen to it but when it is over it just vanishes like brain substance on the fibreglass wall. Another bother I have with this album is that it has a really terrible album cover, it really looks like crap and sure I know it does not effect the music but I would not want to show and have such an album in my shelf. I can end by saying that if you like a little heavier, slightly thrashier, modern metal I am sure this is an album for you.
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