CoC : Amoral - Reptile Ride : Review

Amoral - _Reptile Ride_
(Spikefarm, 2007)
by: Nikola Shahpazov (6.5 out of 10)

Five minutes into the sonic storm that is _Fire Ride_ and I'm already thinking: "Damn! These guys sure know how to play!". The dual guitar attack delivered by Ben Varon and Silver Ots is mesmerizing and technically perfect -- a blizzard of faster than the speed of light solos, melodic leads and tightly packed aggressive riffs. Sure, Amoral are Finnish, but their fusion of straightforward heavy metal, a notch of death extremity and guitar virtuosity literally screams "Gothenburg". And rightfully so, for Amoral do not stray too far away from the beaten track of Arch Enemy, In Flames and the like. But while they certainly don't lack any technical ability, these Finns are little more than a decent band for your beer-induced headbanging.

Amoral simply lack distinctiveness, and their brave display of musicianship doesn't make this album anything more than a good but easily forgettable listen. Tracks like "Hang Me High" might prompt a repeated attempt at actually liking _Fire Ride_, and the excellent instrumental piece "Apocalyptic Sci-fi Fun" deserves a nod of appreciation; but overall, it's a very typical melodic metal affair, too typical even.

Contact: http://www.amoralweb.com/

(article published 11/10/2007)