CoC : Broken - Skytorn : Review

Broken - _Skytorn_
(Sterilized Decay, 1997)
by: Aaron McKay (9 out of 10)

Being the cranky ol' s.o.b. that I am, I -cannot- believe how fortunate I have been. Release after tumultuous release, I have found the plethora of artists to which I have recently been exposed to be rich in talent, deep in meaning, and skilled in music. Enter the band Broken at this point. Ever heard of them? -Not- Broken Hope (fuck yeah, brother!), but simply Broken. Me neither, but my good fortune continues and I am here to tell you I was blown away by this group. Broken has more "change-ups" in their songs than any -two- tracks on Dying Fetus' _Killing on Adrenaline_. What does that amount to -- half, or three quarter of a million?! Seriously though, with the same amount of effortless skill possessed by Dying Fetus, Broken execute brutal style change after brutal style change on _Skytorn_. Did you think Corrosion of Conformity's _Wiseblood_ was "riff-tastic?" You haven't heard Broken yet. They are described as "groovin' brutality". I cannot find two better words thrown together to more accurately communicate Boken's style. The way I see it, this English five-piece unit combines perfectly the essence of musical integrity and beat structured cadence originality. Here and there, a strategically placed mid-paced passage followed by a death growl blazes the way for a choppy, harsh musical force to follow. Track seven of nine on this disc is entitled "Emphasis". This particular song is so fuckin' thick the only description available to use here would be the musical equivalent of trying to pour molasses on an Iowa eve in January (know what I mean, Steve?!). If the fact that _Skytorn_ was recorded at Academy Studios (My Dying Bride, Anathema, Paradise Lost, Cradle of Filth) by Mags pushes any of your buttons, then add that to the list of many reasons why you should own this disc. Did you hear that double bass drum work on the swampy Louisiana-esque tune "Twisted Fate"? If you couldn't hear it blasting from my JVC wherever you are -- get your own copy!

Contact: Sterilized Decay Productions, 62 Shearwater Crescent,

(article published 14/3/1999)