| Ok, so I wasn't exactly sure what to think when I read the information on Subrosa the first time. I
don't know, something about an all-girl metal group from Salt Lake City just didn't have the same
ring to it as say a death metal band from Sweden, but I was willing to be open. And with their
latest record "Strega" I would get my chance to check out what this Utah band was made of.
I sat a little bit just listening to the sounds coming out of my speakers. And for a second the
female voice that sounds like it is read through a speakerphone to the masses, was forgotten. I
focused on the guitars at first which almost remind me of highly dissonant Deftones guitars with
less production. Second, I started to realize that this takes steps away from its self described
"metal" genre title every song, as it mostly just sounds like grungy experimental rock, with
chicks.
Though the dissonant and sonic riffs aren't what you would hear every day (which might be exciting
for some) it gets old pretty fast. It feels all over the place at times and mostly leaves you
wanting to listen to either a better experimental band like Deftones, or a better female fronted
metal band, like Arch Enemy.
"Strega" does have originality, but not everything that is new is meant to be good. I will say the
female vocals are impressive (they remind me of Lacuna Coil) and even though there are hardly any
changes in the presentation of them, they are still good. The riffs on the other hand aren't a joy to endure in all of their cacophonous glory.
~ Derek
June 23 2008 |
