Sledge

Kolony

Metal music merits much more credit than being referred to as an outdated 80/90s whim, […]
By Vladimir "Abir" Leonov
December 23, 2014
Kolony - Sledge album cover

Metal music merits much more credit than being referred to as an outdated 80/90s whim, such is the message conveyed by the Canadian band KOLONY in their album "Sledge", bonding old school musical features with XXIst century lyrics, tackling modern social, economic and political issues. On a musical scale, they describe their style as "melodic rock" , indeed we can often scan tracks from the likes of "The Trial" that are less charged than metal, yet some riffs are more complex to be classified as rock, just the same way vocals can be classified as hardcore owing to the scream in the few first tracks, although the harsh voice redundancy dwindles by the end of the album leaving room to a high baritone range -something we don't always come across for such a genre- and mostly backed by guitar triplets instead of mundane quarter chords.

Emphatically, "Trust And Live" - with lyrics from the ilk of Tao Te Ching wisdom - starts punky although the drums prove otherwise and tilt more power towards its end. Still a delight to guess what awaits from one riff to another, and witnessing the scale as well as the mood fluctuating from one track to the next, even though I had a hard time listening to repetitive "Echoes" echoing in my ears, quite scattered far and wide like autumn leaves, thankfully the drum breaks saved it a bit. Another example stressing the mentioned contrast, is the clean guitars rhythm and distorted lead intro of the succulent classic rock "Modern Hero" that we can notice ARCH ENEMY, having leaned the same way too in their latest album. Straightforward to detect the melody taking all the focus apart from a tricky signature key and scale shift as well as a luscious solo, tantamount to 80's hair metal in thorough disparity with the symphonic touch in "Anthem" in a complete turnaround towards tremolo, fast tempo and a morose scale further underscored by the orchestra hits and the string ensemble effects of the keyboards which are the key component of the track. Somehow, that moment when the distorted lead guitar follows the melody, harks me back to a certain "Closure" By the Belgian band GWYLLION (non-related genre), splendid atmosphere just like what could have been provided by the classic guitar intro and the medieval minor scales of "I Don't Care" if it were merely instrumental, for even the open chords would have done better off without lyrics as the track takes the atmospheric side in the first place. Not far away from the same mood, though more afire with faster tempo, pillar notes, some chromatics and even a drum solo, "Road" - though meant for the new generation of metal audience - smells an 80/90s influence a bunch but their technique is effortlessly predicted, unlike the oldie glamour groove renovated with the synth brass ensemble of "Monopoly", or further the drums having transformed the track "Sledge That Shit" sustaining a shrewd alternation of chords and arpeggio. Notice: shit talk is too mainstream.

As the band itself stated, the album perceptibly targets the up-to-the-minute wave of metal music by jumbling a multitude of influences, yet in the end it seemed more of a power metal rather than melodic rock.<

7 / 10

Good

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"Sledge" Track-listing:

1. I Realize
2. The Trial
3. Trust And Live
4. Echoes
5. Modern Hero
6. Anthem
7. Escape
8. I Don't Care
9. Road
10. Monopoly
11. Sledge That Shit

Kolony Lineup:

Reno - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Maxxx - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Myk - Bass, Backing Vocals
Antony - Drums

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