New album by Memorain and I still can't decide whether I like this band or not. They always had this something that attracted me, but they also had that something that made me dislike them. They play one of my favorite genres and that's what made me review this album. I hope I won't regret it. Let's see...
Formed back in 1999 by mastermind Ilias Papadakis, Memorain went through some line up changes to finally record their first demo (Until You Die) in 2001. 2002 finds Memorain signing a contract with NMC Music for two records. Then, their debut album was released (Digital Crimes). Their second album, white Lines, was released in 2003 featuring James Murphy. In September 2005 the band signed a new contract, this time with EMI Music, and started recording Reduced To Ashes with a new member behind the drum kit, Nick Menza!
Following what bands like Annihilator, Metallica and mostly Megadeth have taught, Memorain deliver a pure 80's Thrash/Heavy Metal record that unfortunately is nothing more but a pointless effort to bring those days back. That's only for today's metalheads. I admit that I really enjoyed listening to it! I really miss the days when Thrash Metal was at its best...
Anyway, I will start by mentioning two things that really annoyed me while listening to Reduced To Ashes. First of all, the drums sound awful. Not bad, awful! The drum kicks sound like the snare! That really spoiled my first enthusiasm. The second thing I wanted to mention is the singer's voice. Ok, you worship Megadeth but why do you have to sing like Mustaine? The guy has exactly the same voice!
Anyway, the tracks are great and the sound (except for the drums) is very nice. TV War features a guest appearance by Jeff Waters (Annihilator). Nick Menza also sounds very fresh and hasn't lost his abilities at all! Fast as always!
The whole package is very well designed and adds to the release! If you miss the days when Thrash was spreading like a disease, go and buy this album. If not, keep your money for something better...
P.S. My rating could have been higher, but the drums really suck...