Threat Signal - Under Reprisal

[Liu]

Threat Signal - Under Reprisal
Nuclear Blast

The current wave of metal that has been washing over North America these last few years have produced a multitude of bands of varying qualities. Seeing as how labels are signing each and every band under the sun that delves in that particular sound, it can be hard to pick out the real gems swimming in a sea of cookie cutter offerings. Canada's Threat Signal is one such band trying to seperate itself from the pack and for a debut album, Under Reprisal sure makes a statement, albiet with a bit of confusion concerning where the band wants to go.

The moment that the first song, Rational Eyes, comes through the speakers, one immediately brings to mind Fear Factory. The stop/start riffing, busy drumwork and dual clean/harsh vocal style are all reminiscent of the modern metal pioneers. Save for the lack of a industrial synth element, one could easily mistake Under Reprisal for a new Fear Factory album. Whats more, Fear Factory band member Christian Olde Wolbers produced the damned album, so his influence rubbed off on the band in more ways than one. He even provided background vocals on a number of songs. While Fear Factory is the chief influence that can be heard here, it is certainly not the only one. For a few songs, the band ventures into metalcore-ish territory. One Last Breath is the biggest offender with its very Linkin Park styled chorus. Counterbalance will also no doubt sate the appetite of the Headbanger's Ball crowd with its very commercialized aspirations. Thankfully they only briefly stray from the path, returning to the intense full throttle tech metal with songs like Inane, Haunting and When All Is Said And Done.

Jon Howard does a good job at embracing the dual vocal style that Burton C. Bell pioneered. The clean vocals have that angelic aura around them while in contrast the harsh death shouts are spewed with venomous spite. On the rythmn guitar front, there really isn't anything that hasn't been done before, but the solos are a different matter. I don't know if Kyle McKnight and Rich Howard share the solo duties or if its just one of them (linear notes don't specify), but in any case these incredible solos really help set them apart. This current generation of bands have really moved away from the guitar hero mindset, so when graceful solos start in the middle of a song, its hard not to just sit back and absorb it. Even the aforementioned Counterbalance gives enough room for an amazing solo that almost redeems the song.

So the band has a bit of an identity crisis right now. They could easily go for the easy money and release the next Hybrid Theory or they could tread the path of the downtrodden, joining the legions that have no hope for MTV airplay but still with dignity intact. But for now, I think I can find a way to enjoy them while they're sitting on that fence.


01. Rational Eyes
02. As I Destruct
03. One Last Breath
04. Seeing Red
05. A New Beginning
06. Counterbalance
07. Inane
08. Now
09. Faceless
10. Haunting
11. When All Is Said And Done

Score: 7/10