Let's blame the industry again, it's hidden course of action against Metal bands in the end of the 80s / early 90s, making them turn their skins, sell themselves for nothing just to keep their heads above water and receive offers. It became quite common, however, when thinking of it, it has always been two to tango. There numerous of bands that were cast out of the ring they got so used to due to the change of seasons in the US Metal / Rock scene, the 90s Grunge nearly killed everything accomplished in the 80s, burning it to the ground. Gladly not everything. It came to be that the bands forcefully adjusted in order to wink harder so they would be noticed. And here we are with shapeshifter, the US Metal band CEREBUS, which just recently came back to action.

Heaven And Hell Records reissued the band's debut, "Too Late To Pray", originally released in the mid-80s, and also the band's 1991's EP "Regression Progression" along with unreleased recordings that were probably made right before the band went to the freezer. While listening to the EP and the rare recordings, I slowly came to understand the EP's chosen title, as if there was an internal struggle of whether to change or not with the pro winning the fight. For those that knew the Heavy Metal personality of CEREBUS on the debut, will probably be shaken or caught off guard with the EP and its supplements. I would call it total overall, and pretty similar to what went down in crumbling US Metal scene of that time.

CEREBUS's later material sounded like a raw mish mash of THIN LIZZY / KISS / DEEP PURPLE / NIGHT RANGER / AEROSMITH, rather far from the mid-tempo NWOBHM heaviness or crunchy speeding efforts of their past. At least it was still chip of the old Rock, and not complete transformation. Think about a Bluesy kind of Hard Rock, sometimes atmospheric, very attached to its American core side, stomping in the same place without moving forward or backwards. To be clear, it doesn't mean that it is bad, it is hardly the point. Just different than what probably the die-hard fans were used to. As a Metalhead, it just gave me an insight to possible deeds musician would do to stick around or mainly gather more audiences under their wing.

The songwriting tends to be catchy, the music is simple, swaying in the slow to mid-tempo Hard Rock vibe oozed up in Blues to the AOR oriented balladry that is somewhat softy and mushy. "Don't Speak for Me" is an angry Rocker, not nasty as the surge from California, but rather Hard to the bone Rock, keeping it real and basic, a true nut cracker. The optimistic "Peace on Earth" is closer to the AOR end, emotive and not greasy as most of them. Shows the band in a better light than most of the songs presented.  Also worth mentioning is "Living a Lie", acoustic touches of "Wasted Time" and the decent ballad "The Offering". However, in general, the album was a bit tiring, without any indication of spicing things up a bit, make it a bit deadlier, or exciting.

Issued as "Regression Progression & Something More", this is a fine offering for collectors, another reminiscent of their local scene's decline right before it came back up.