Process - Through Acknowledgement Only
Denmark may be a lot smaller than its Scandinavian siblings, but by no means has its output of quality heavy metal been comparably paltry. The latest Danes to break through with their debut EP are thrash metal-cum-melodic metalcore five-piece Process.
In a somewhat bizarre twist, Process almost sound like a European band taking influences from the newer wave of American bands that were themselves influenced by European bands. The modern, more melodic metalcore sound introduced around the turn of the millennium has become increasingly popular over the years, breeding a seemingly equal mix of indignation and delight throughout the metal world. Process are certainly no one-trick pony though, and deliver a sound that, whilst certainly melodic, sticks a lot closer to the edgier clamour of their European contemporaries, sacrificing little to none of the more extreme side of thrash metal and melodic death metal that has become so synonymous with heavy music on the continent.
They might not do melodic choruses as well as their American counterparts, but the rest of the music is distinctly heavier and the solos are second-to-none, plus the singing only appears sporadically on the EP. When those moments do arrive, Lennarth Christensen does such a good impression of Michael Poulsen that you'd be forgiven for thinking the Volbeat frontman was moonlighting on his days off. The majority of the melody actually comes from the guitar work; from Iron Maiden-esque harmonics through to intricately crafted solos that are a pleasure to listen to. The real force of Process, however, lies in the ever present raw aggression that envelops their sound. The song titles read more like a Kreator setlist and a fair portion of the EP lives up to this association, albeit in a more modern style, perhaps reminiscent of At The Gates or The Haunted. The drumming is exemplary in its creativity and technicality, but with Danish demon Mads Lauridsen behind the kit that's no huge revelation.
The choruses on songs such as Detached From Life and Fatality don't really add any major substance to the songs, so much as drag them down into mediocrity. Nothing here is badly below par; it just leans at times toward becoming inoffensive and bland. The melodic hooks are for the most part entirely barbless; about as memorable as a night out after somebody shouting, "Free bar".
When Process choose to show their claws, however, the quality is upped considerably. Christensen's screams go well with their thrashier moments and add a level of European extremity that a lot of the American bands seem to lack. The title track and EP highlight Human Sacrifice are perfect showcases for a band who aspire to be melodic and creative with their music, without sacrificing extremity.
The production does the band a lot of favours; many similar bands in the past have ended up falling as flat as they sound on disc, but this EP sounds fresh and energetic thanks to Jacob Hansen (knob twiddler for Aborted, Mercenary, and yep, Volbeat) being at the helm.
Through Acknowledgement Only is half an hour of solid, no-holds-barred melodic thrash metal that is sure to raise eyebrows and induce benevolent grins in many fans of heavy music, with riffs that will open up pits within seconds. The melodic choruses feel slightly unnecessary, and poor old Lennarth Christensen sounds so much like Michael Poulsen when he sings, that Volbeat's continued success might not do Process any favours in that department. But despite the dips in creativity the peaks outweigh the troughs, leaving Process in a strong position and hopefully a very promising future is on the cards.