CoC : Atrophia Red Sun - Twisted Logic : Review

Atrophia Red Sun - _Twisted Logic_
(Empire, 2003)
by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10)

This is the second full-length release from Poland's Atrophia Red Sun. I'm not familiar with their previous offering, but this album features a novel brand of thrash augmented by spacy keyboards. Their music has a frantic or anxious vibe, as it's tight and punchy but not really very aggressive. They have a vaguely computerized sound, but this comes mostly from the keys; unlike other "cyber" bands such as Obliveon, the guitars and drums don't have a processed feel. The songs flow pretty well, with the band eschewing standard verse-chorus structures in favor of a more flexible approach. The playing is competent, though not particularly challenging, and the production is quite good. Vocals are usually a raspy shout, with some other styles as well, such as a lower, almost-spoken growl, some processed vox, and some clean vocals (which need some work). The keyboards are a dominant part of their sound. At times they have a new-agey feel, which provides an interesting contrast with the thrash underneath, and produces some of the disc's best moments. At other times the keys sound cheesy and cheapen the atmosphere, such as when they steal the "X-Files" theme (in the title track). Despite this they do offer an innovative sound, and those looking for something original to satisfy their cybermetal needs should track this down.

Contact: http://ars.rockmetal.art.pl

(article published 7/6/2004)