6

In Need Of More Members

With a name like Fury UK you'd expect some heads down, no holds barred thrash. Sadly, this Manchester trio do little to get the pulses racing with their second album 'Face Of Adversity'. However, the band have been lauded by non other than the Mighty Metal Hammer and Mayfair Mallzine (I'm not sure what a Mallzine is), with comments such as '...an Anselmo-alike gruff vocal attack is almost ornamental placed either side of the amazing guitar work.' All I can say is they must have been listening to Pantera rather than Fury UK because I couldn't hear any of that in this release.

I'm still debating with myself over whether 'Face Of Adversity' is a poor sounding professional recording or a glorified demo. At this moment in time I am still undecided because although the band have released this album via Rocksector Records, the actual recording smacks of self-finance and done in a hurry. There's nothing wrong with this of course but an overall impression of this album is that it could have come across a lot better had the production been a little more polished. The guitars aren't completely tracked leaving them in a semi mono state, which, instantly gives the disc that demo feel. The drums are raw, the overall tone is bass heavy and the vocals, well, they're poor to say the least.

Vocalist/Guitarist Chris Appleton comes across as a guitarist first and vocalist second. It's as if the singer left the band and Chris decided to fill in whilst they looked for another vocalist. Try as he might, he is frequently out of tune and struggles on the higher notes which makes the listening of the songs, 'Truth' and 'Words You Say' especially, particularly difficult to listen to. The guitar work is competent with some flash solos (e.g The End) from Mr. Appleton and dare I say the album could've done with more of these 'moments' as it's one of the band's strengths.

'Krueger' is ok as an opening tune yet 'Natural Disaster' is simply sublime with its bass driven groove and counterpoint guitar work. This stunning tune is the highlight in an overall hit and miss affair with four out of the nine songs coming across as a lot stronger than the others (Natural Disaster, The End, Wicked Glass and Breakthrough). The lighter moments such as 'The Lost Soul', which is simply woeful, just drag the better ideas through the musical gutter. With the production being what it is, perhaps concentrating on nailing the four stronger songs rather than all nine would have been a better idea.

In the end 'Face Of Adversity' has it's moments but they are almost lost within the demo style production, lacklustre vocals and below average song-writing. These moments however, do prove that Fury UK have the tools to create something special but I think an overhaul on how they approach recording and how many tracks they record would improve matters dramatically. Also, I think the band could benefit from a specialist singer or singer/rhythm guitarist to allow Chris Appleton, who definitely has the skills, to concentrate on being just a guitar player.