KILLERFIX

With nice cover art in a smart digipak, I'm hopeful before I spin this disc, the debut offering from London-based outfit Killerfix. Opening track 'Beckoning' commences with some clean, ambient guitar, heavy on the reverb and delay and a neat, slow build-up of cymbals overlaid with lead guitar notes but then everything takes a turn for the worse. Well, not entirely the worse, but definitely the generic in terms of the actual music. It's a long way from the promise of "innovative and driving Metal with an originality, creativity, intensity and fire" that's claimed on the press sheet. Perhaps "driving Metal" I'd go with as some of the guitar riffing provides some proper head-banging moments, even if generic, and it's "innovative" in so much as sonic atmospherics are sporadically created through the use of two guitars which are most effective when Killerfix combine distortion with clean. However, what predominantly abates the efficacy of the whole thing are the vocals. Whether or not he shines live I can't judge, but in the recorded format Craig Wilson doesn't have the best of voices. If forced into a comparison, I'd suggest a subpar Rob Flynn; that is to say quasi-singing full of pseudo-aggression which isn't always a bad thing in itself but, here, it doesn't work very well. The production's not too bad, certainly not great, but adequate enough and having been mastered by the prolific Ray Staff (Motörhead; Black Sabbath; Led Zeppelin; Cradle of Filth; Muse et al), it's evidently received a post-production polish by a skilled hand to give it a little more oomph in all the right places. And it's not "driving Metal" all the way through; there is some variance in proceedings, notably 'My Kingdom' which has a likeable Floydian-esque mid-section and album closer 'Deaf Nation' with a more than welcome vocal contribution from Rosalie Deighton. It's a shame they didn't hire Deighton to adorn more of the tracks with her quite wonderful voice. If Wilson's vocals were more refined or Killerfix had a more skilled frontman at the mic then 'Bridge of Disorder' would come across a lot better than it actually does. I find myself enjoying the instrumental passages far more than those with singing. Not bad for a debut but nothing outstanding either.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Dust on the Tracks

Album

BRIDGE OF DISORDER

Review by Mark Holmes

RUNNING TIME:

41:10

RELEASE DATE:

9th April 2012

TRACK LISTING

1) Beckoning
2) Someone Else To Blame
3) In Texas
4) Divided
5) My Kingdom
6) Smoke for the Pain
7) Bridge of Disorder
8) Deaf Nation
9) Bonus - Enhanced Video Track

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

UK

"If...Killerfix had a more skilled frontman at the mic then 'Bridge of Disorder' would come across a lot better than it actually does."