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Label: From The Depths Entertainment
From: Loudoun County, VA
Restored
Release Date: 2010
Sounds like: All That Remains
Track Listing:
1. Mausoleum
2. The Hospital Ghost
3. Flags At Half Mast
4. Empires and Vampires
5. His Tail Had Two Coils
6. Sweet Texas Death Rattle
7. Kainos
8. Identity (Our Truth)
9. Unsound
Scream/Ruin has been doing music for awhile now and while this album came out last year, it sets up great things for this band from VA. The opener "Mausoleum" builds up with a good riff and albeit an instrumental, it sets a very metal tone for the album due to its breakdown 3/4 into the song. The second song "The Hospital Ghost" starts out with a synth and then goes into a riff which is very melodic and almost like an old Skycamefalling song for a little while. The vocals are harsh but it compliments the time signatures and riffing quite nicely. "Flags At Half Mast" is almost like a "Ride The Lightning" type song from Metallica. They don't pull any punches with the song as it hits the listener with riffing and chugs from all angles. "Empires and Vampires" is a atmospheric acoustic song to let the listener get soothing by calm mood it creates.
"Sweet Texas Death Rattle" opens with a smidgen of singing and a gang chant and almost has a southern metal tinge to it. The synth is prevalent in the chorus of the song. "Kainos" opens with almost a Slayer-esque riff and just keeps going and almost turns into Pantera riffing but with a synth in the background. It's very different and adds an element of surprise for the listener. "Unsound" is the last song on the album and it closes off the album perfectly. Very epic song (over 6 minutes long) and summarizes all the metal you just heard one last time in a melodic heavy riffing that will keep your head banging the entire 6 minutes.
Verdict:
There's a lot of metal coming out of the state of VA nowadays, while some are just beginning, Scream/Ruin has been doing it for awhile and it shows. The riffing, drumming and vocals are all there and we can't wait for their next album as this album nearly gave us whiplash from all the head banging.
Standout Tracks-
"The Hospital Ghost"
"Unsound"
