Originally written by Erik Thomas.
Synopsis:
While most of the metal media seems content to lose their shit over big name records from Shadow’s Fall, Sanctity and Dark Tranquillity, how about an equally deserving record that combines the three into one; thrashing, razor sharp tightly wound American record?
Review:
Meet California’s Cerberus (one of the many Cerberus’ out there), who after a more thrash based debut album and a transitional EP, appear to have peaked with one hell of a record and continue on their more Gothenburg inspired sound.
Folks, this is one damn tight record and a record that fans should hear and appreciate amid the slew of bigger profile American and European releases vying for your hard earned dollar. First off, the band’s blend of tight, razor sharp modern thrash (think Carnal Forge) and more svelte, seethingly melodic bite is perfectly balanced and implemented. The songs deliver a varied array of terse, high octane riffage such as “Cancer”, “In Contempt”, “Forced Choice” and “The Answer”, all with a nod towards the melody but none with the nice tones of the Gothenburg scene. Plus, they are still managing to keep one foot very lightly placed in the Bay Area sound (notably “The Filthy Few”, “Lifetime to Come”) with each lick and solo. There really isn’t a weak moment on the album, as each of the ten tracks delivers the metal in spades, resulting in one of the few albums I can listen from start to finish without skipping anything. The raspy melo-death vocals of John Guettler keep things a little more ‘extreme’ and free from clean croon$, (I’m looking at you Trivium and Shadows Fall) keeping this album away from the mainstream or anything remotely ‘core related. Breath catching instrumental “Ascendance” and closing track “The Legion” end the album with a sort of cool down period, slamming the door on 46 minutes of frantic, streamlined, high quality metal.
Secondly, the Zach Ohren (All Shall Perish, As Blood Runs Black, Animosity, The Taste of Blood) production is absolutely killer and (along with the new Odious Mortem) shows Ohren’s production skills are now way more than hardcore and thunderous breakdowns.
With Dispute the Truth, Cerberus now have risen from undiscovered American gem and are now playing with the big boys, and if Creator-Destructor’s previous (The Funeral Pyre) band are anything top go by, I’d look for a well deserved deal with Prosthetic Records pretty soon.
