'Genetic Memory' gives us pretty "normal" heavy/power metal and it's the fifth album by these Australians, which can be heard from the mostly mature and well evolved music they play. Many of the songs on this album are really, really good and sticks in your head easily but the album has a major problem - it's always, in every single part of the album, annoying me and that kind of interrupts me from enjoying this music. One of the things is the vocalist Mike DiMeo, another the sound quality and a third the overall production.
The album was actually released almost a year ago and despite listening to the album for more than 20 times I haven't managed to get a review out of it simply because the album haven't given me any impression that lasts. I've been thinking "I'll do it later" over and over everytime I've played through this album but I feel the limit of how long I can do that has since long been passed - it's time to do this regardless of the fact that the album still can't give me a lasting impression and the sole reason for why it's not speaking to me is the production. The music is exciting and also pretty fresh and interesting but the sound just puts this album in some sort of ever lasting vacuum where the music gets stuck and leaves nothing but a shrug and perhaps a faint gust from the wind… and actually I feel that this is pretty sad because I really feel that I like what the band has done on 'Genetic Memory' and that it could have been such a great album!
This failure to deliver lasting impressions is also the reason why I think the album won't become a classic album, ever. The flat production is what's to blame but it's not like it's completely lacking a decent sound, it's just that the whole thing sounds so cold and unprofessional. I think the sound reminds me of a fridge rather than anything else and I really don't like that feeling from an album. An album with a striking production and sound has a much warmer and stronger feel - more like an owen (that has both upper and lower heating options). This albums sounds a bit like it's been recorded in mono, but not in a retro-vintage-nice kind of way but more like a low-budget, amateurish and so-so way despite the mature and well-played material.
'Genetic memory' delivers so much good and exciting, interesting things that it feels pretty wrong to simply call them off because they lack that last finishing touch, but truth is that because they lack that last little touch I must say that the album isn't as good as I'm certain it could have been. Maybe a re:master can sort that problem out? And make the album sound warmer and more grand and perhaps that would be an album I'd completely love! Perhaps to such an extent that I'd even reward them with one of the top scores, becuase I really think the material has that potential. Unfortunately I can't give them any of those things with the material that's on the table. It is what the material is, which is… a shrug. Such an album you'd probably feel it's good and ask the name of the band for, only to forget it moments later. I really hope they can change that for the next release!
HHHHHHH
