Even though Metalcore is not exactly my preferred style of music, and I hardly keep track of bands in that scene, it is no secret that especially Germany seems to be running rampant with lots of very talented and established acts like for example Caliban or Heaven Shall Burn. Now, with the release of Nightmare Inc., their second full length release, we can easily add A Traitor Like Judas to that list as well.
After doing a little research on the net, it seems that A Traitor Like Judas has already been hailed as a new promise for the German Metalcore scene for quite some time now. Their first album, Too Desperate To Breathe In, received a lot of positive reviews and the band apparently ranks as one of the hardest touring bands in Germany. Not having been familiar with their music before, I can't go and make comparisons to their older material but I can safely say that Nightmare Inc. will do the band a lot of good and establish their position in the scene even further.
Musically it has to be said that A Traitor Like Judas does not really cover any new ground and will not win any prizes for innovation. Nightmare Inc.'s strength however lies in the way the songs are performed. Namely with tons of aggression, yet without completely forsaking the melody, which is something a lot of similar bands are guilty of. The band members obviously pour their entire passion into the music and this can be heard very clearly. A small negative point for me however, are the vocals. Now I know that this type of shouting/screaming is standard for this kind of music - but a little bit more variety or the occasional clean part surely couldn't hurt, right? As it is, the vocal lines end up being a little too boring and familiar after a while, bringing forth the rather well-known hey...haven't I heard this somewhere before already syndrome. This is a pity, since the songs in themselves are good and the production is also really strong (which is a rarity in my opinion for metalcore bands).
Nightmare Inc. however, still stands head and shoulders above a lot of the competition. If you are a fan of this kind of music then you can safely ignore my complaints, as you are sure to enjoy this band and their music as well. This album will certainly be another step forward for A Traitor Like Judas and as long as the band manages to come up with tunes like No More Silence or You Rip Our Guts Out, they have absolutely nothing to worry about.