More crushing then a defeat by Robotnik on the final level.
The UK have never been one to back down to the overpowering talent of the US and Europe, we may not always have a great number of rock talent bursting from our musical frontlines but when we do produce talent, its always enough to make up for the lack of quantity with sheer power and quality. We take credit for Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Bush, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Judas Priest to name a few, and now we can add progressive riff hungry monster End of Level Boss to that list.
Highly innovative, End of Level Boss is driven by the complete and all consuming need for riffs, fresh killer riffs that enslave and rock everything in the vicinity. This is a band that manages to strike a delicious balance between old school influences, the clean cut shape of classical rock and a sense of musical adventure. The grooves are burnt out like a slowly smouldering oak tree and the riffs are a twisted combination of progressive freshness and intelligently placed eerie breaks. This year looks set to build the bands fan base even further and for the machine of sound to grow even stronger, more monstrous then ever before.
'Selfishnegativibemerchant' is the first track that kicks off with a constant rhythmic assault, the odd clattering of drums really building the tension as the lead guitar breaks into the soaring ascending screeches that support the edgy vocals and dictate the movements of the rest of the track. The music itself seems full of desperation and a crunching raw desire to grow and become much stronger which it soon becomes as it kicks into a vibrant break full of constantly evolving and maturing riffs that become more and more complex as they rip through the crushing, clattering rhythm.
'Mr. Dinosaur is Lost' has a sexy and sinister mood to it, with a lazy and laid back tempo and repetitive vibe laid down by guitars. It almost has a Pink Floyd-like mood to it as it lazily rolls alongside the tired moaning of H Armstrong on voice. The overall impact is heavy and gruesome, at times reflecting the elements of doom metal, its grim and dreary mood always lingering over the music.
Track 4 'Corners' has an undeniably industrial influence lying behind the roaring riffs and rough vocals, with a machine like, distorted introduction resembling the inner movements and workings of machinery, full of sampled sounds and a regular driven guitar pulse. This then explodes into a diverse map of sonic imagery portrayed through constantly changing and evolving riffs, each a little more complex then the last.
'Inside The Difference Machine' provides full satisfaction for riff addicts everywhere, and although at times a little too repetitive sounding between tracks, End Of Level Boss truly do have something a little different to offer the metal scene and are sure to grow and find their space in time.