The Pitch: Polish progressive metal/djent crew STEAM self-release a pretty strong debut full length album. FFO: Textures, DFB, Kadinja
What I Like: STEAM is yet another band seemingly fighting to fill the niche left open by the sudden departure of Textures. Djenty, technical riffs, emphasis on melodic grooves, and largely clean vocals lead to more than a few parallels between the two. The compositional approach, use of electronic programming, and emphasis on guitars should also please fans of the likes of Periphery, but Adam's deeper, fuller singing voice is much more aligned with Pieter than Spencer. And to those who tend to shy away from clean singing infecting their metal like green peppers on a pizza, fear not; heavier tracks like "The Light Reaper" may still provide the pure headbanging experience you're looking for. Lots of great moments all over this album. Call me crazy, but I'm even getting a weird Blood Brothers vibe from parts of "Black Star." Maybe even a little Patton on top of that.
Critiques: I have a love hate relationship with these vocals. I love that they are unique with a bit of a Lajon Witherspoon vibe, but they don't always hit their mark. Both the songwriting and performances in this area could use a little work. Not bad; just in need of some further growth.
The Verdict: An imperfect but very strong debut from a band with plenty of talent on display. With a little extra push in the vocal department, I see STEAM having the potential to garner a large fanbase from both the metal and more mainstream rock communities. They have a sound friendly enough for the radio, but complex and heavy enough for me to forgive them for it. Check out the lead single below.
Flight's Fav's: Let Them Rise, The Light Reaper, Flyby Anomaly
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
SUBSCRIBE to our Trench Talk Podcast on iTunes, Castbox, YouTube, and BitChute. You can also like and follow us on the social media of your choice with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and support us on Patreon.
