CoC : Newborn Nemesis - Searching for Sanity : Review

Newborn Nemesis - _Searching for Sanity_
(Independent, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (8 out of 10)

It's certainly a great feeling knowing that you were right about something all along, and considering the fact that I've been championing this Milton Keynes collective's cause for some time now, it definitely warms the cockles to find that _Searching for Sanity_, their debut mini album, hits the mark in a very pronounced fashion. Following on from their outstanding self-titled demo, the band formerly known as Cerberus are in an experimental mood this time around, mixing up their hardcore and thrash influences with some more traditional melodic fare. And while on paper this may sound like just the right ingredients recipe for yet another cliché-ridden "melodeath" outfit, "Evolution" and the punky "Middle Finger Salute" prove that the band still owe more to The Haunted than they do to the tawdry likes of Caliban. At the same time however, the addition of twin-guitar harmonizing does detract somewhat from the music's overall impact -- at times overstepping the mark and becoming downright unwelcome, as in the case of the title track's opening bridge. But it's early days still for Newborn Nemesis, and at the rate they're evolving at this point, it should surprise no one when they start getting mentioned in the same hushed tones as their peers very soon.

Contact: http://www.newbornnemesis.com

(article published 31/12/2004)