CoC : Red Harvest - Sick Transit Gloria Mundi : Review

Red Harvest - _Sick Transit Gloria Mundi_
(Relapse, 2002)
by: Aaron McKay (5 out of 10)

Muddled riffs litter this effort like so many plastic beer cups after a Bongzilla show (if anyone is interested, Bongzilla had a great set at this year's Milwaukee Metalfest). The heavier, slower aspect of this band is the most inviting facet of this Norwegian outfit. At times, _Sick Transit Gloria Mundi_ would remind you of a power outage -- at other times, they fit my taste like a socket and a plug. The inconsistency with this effort's mix and texture is my biggest hangup. "Godtech" has a wonderfully infused source of power; they seem to draw from guttural vocals which remind you of a cross between Oscar the Grouch and Barney Greenway. Unfortunately, this song plows directly into "Humanoia", a mechanized, overcharged slur of Fear Factory on speed. Yuck! One thing I can say, being a huge Pig Destroyer fan, is that I'd bet Red Harvest has an outstanding stage presence. With the drop to the tone on track five, "Dead", I would be remiss in saying there wasn't hope for these atom-smashers. Red Harvest energizes fourteen tracks of intangible wattage with a semi-techno charge that ups the volume on this reviewer's system. However, the band has a tendency to lose sight of the metal element to their creation on _Sick Transit Gloria Mundi_ -- not that this is a bad thing, but it's reminiscent of Frankenstein's monster, especially the further into _STGM_ you get. They say you reap what you sow and this harvest is more-or-less meager.

(article published 16/3/2003)

ALBUMS
3/16/2007	J Smit	9	Red Harvest - A Greater Darkness
2/22/2005	J Smit	7	Red Harvest - Internal Punishment Programs
8/12/2000	P Azevedo	7	Red Harvest - Cold Dark Matter

GIGS
11/20/2000	P Schwarz	Mayhem / Aeternus / Red Harvest	Declaring War on the Underground