The Pitch: UK melodeath band Furyborn deliver an unexpectedly stellar album filled to the brim with tasty hooks and Gothenburg throwbacks. FFO: Soilwork, Arch Enemy, Bloodshot Dawn
What I Like: It took me a minute to figure out who vocalist Jut Tabor most reminds me of, but I am pretty happy with calling it a cross between Björn "Speed" Strid and Howard Jones. Both are known for having strong cleans to go along with their deep growls, and Jut holds his own against these highly lauded frontmen. This is just my first high compliment of a group that I knew absolutely nothing of prior to this album.
Furyborn, despite my initial misgivings, are an amazingly proficient group that knocked Dawn of Leviathan out of the park when it comes the peak of early 2000's melodeath. The album sounds like it was released somewhere between Wages of Sin and Natural Born Chaos. Even if for some reason you dislike every other aspect of their sound, there is simply no way you can deny the guitarwork. Furyborn deliver an endless supply of hooks and facemelting solos that must be acknowledged.
Critiques: "Deep Rising" is a little on the cheesy side, but thanks to the strings and a very passionate vocal performance it doesn't cause too much of a problem. More generally, these guys suffer a typical melodeath issue of not having much new to say when it comes to the genre.
The Verdict: Ultimately, listening to Dawn of Leviathan is like seeing the latest Marvel movie: it's going to be fun and full of action, but you already know what you're going to get. Docked innovation points aside, those like me who can't ignore a good hook and wax nostalgic about the Gothenburg sound will be eating this up by the spoonfull. Check it out on Spotify and itunes.
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