Classic NWOBHM meets intelligent hard rock and grunge from South African newcomers
"It's always refreshing to hear material that's 100% original..." spouts the blurb. Really? I'd be surprised because they're also "harking back to the glory days of guitar rock". In truth, Stonecollar aren't the sort of band to wear their influences on their sleeve but they're very capable of sliding from the grunge or gothic rumblings of Turn a Blind Eye, through nu-metal and at their best they have riffs to match the heavy hitters of NWOBHM.
Opening track 'Not for Good' is a great start, but then it all falls apart. The ideas are all there, the musicians are on top form... but it's like watching a young band practice their Maiden covers in a garage, looking over at each other for clues as to what comes next. It stops and starts where it should just crash through without compromise. They hesitate. And there's no room for that. There are some fantastic ideas here, especially the classic metal moments like 'Dying Breed' or the bluesier 'Loose Cannon'. But before it can take off to the next level, it falters.
It lacks confidence. Vocalist Leshem Petersen has an incredible voice, leading the charge from the front. The drums have an incredible presence and robust sound that everything else hangs off. With them, there is cohesion. It's the instrumental breaks where the group loses direction, noodling aimlessly through the middle eight in familiar patterns. The sound of the guitars together is wonderful, but the lead guitar is strangely disjointed, as if it's embarrassed someone's listening. It has been shoved to the front by unsubtle production when it would really rather just blend in.
There are some fantastically brave ideas hidden away here. There's a message and purpose to what they're doing ('Unnatural Selection') but the music belies the courage of their convictions. The production lets them down massively, as it seems to separate the elements of the music rather than uniting them. Budgets, eh?
Altogether, it's very much the sound of a band at the very beginning. The ideas are there, but they need to draw them together and let them grow organically rather than compressing them into uncomfortable exercises. The genuine exception is the incredible ... 'As the Crow Flies', which balances ballad and balls precisely. Finding that balance every time will be a thing for the next album... can't wait.