Great Groove metal is not quite as dead as one might think, the naysayers harkening back to a preconceived, strictly Cavalera-era SEPULTURA or Dimebag-era PANTERA musical mindset. From then on, for argument's sake, we had the late music of INVOCATOR, and, more recently, KILLER BE KILLED. Now, we can welcome with open arms, Portuguese band EQUALEFT, who have just created a debut full-length: "Adapt and Survive".

"...The Chameleons" is the album's archetypal, rolling, rumbling, mid-tempo sledgehammer, with sub-terranean bass drums carrying the arrangement with their low-end might, locked in with bass-heavy guitars. It's perhaps a good thing this track is under 4 minutes long; repetitiveness can be a little hard to avoid when the majority of the track involves down-tuned chugs, but alas, it's all in good 'n' 'eavy fun. "Maniac" is exactly the kind of follow-up I was hoping for; trippy and discordant introductory riffage translates into a frantic and aggressive outburst of massive, sonic outrage. Prolonged listening unleashes irrevocably heavy passages, drowning one from the ears down in thick, muddy groove attacks.

"Hymns of Obedience" was a standout, album-favorite for me. A masterfully created and executed intro, lavished with clean guitars, gives way to verse and chorus laden with choppy, chunky and ridiculously syncopated riffs. I'm left in a slightly pleasant state of reflection that I have yet to hear an overuse of breakdowns; the instance of which in this track, in fact, makes it one of the best on the record, stripping the track down to a bleak skeleton. "When Ruin Becomes a Bliss", is a stylistic oddity on the release; present are many deviations from the band's already tried-and-true groovicious formula, with meaningful progressive and atmospheric permutations added to the mix. Of course, being a low tempo track, it is capable of neck-snapping heaviness.

I honestly have high hopes for this band; the release is a strong one, particularly for a debut, although there may seem to be a little homogeneity between the tracks, may it be for a lack of melody. Yet when their melodic side shows, it is quite pleasing to the ears.