Congress "Resurrection" CD
[Goodlife]
I was really looking forward to this one... the first record from these leaders of the Belgian H8000 scene in several years, and the first with their new vocalist as well. I don't want to start off on too negative a note, because this is a decent record, however, most of the reviews I've read of this record are way too overhyped - basically raining praise all over this release simply because people are excited to see Congress back in action. So, I have to be clear in stating that this is not the band's best work, I like their older material better, and I'm really not that into the new vocalist either. His voice is definitely pretty wild and over the top, which is cool, but it just sort of sounds blown out, so it's not necessarily all that forceful. As far as the songwriting goes, there are tons of classic metalcore riffs and vicious, churning rhythms that are staples of the European style, as well as some more death metal oriented riffing and such, which are the strengths (aside from all the damn pinch harmonics in the death metal runs). Some of the clean passages are okay, but they're always slapped into the songs out of nowhere without really serving much of a purpose, so they often feel forced and overused. And I pretty much hate the solos because they're just sort of random and chaotic - they don't fit the songs that well at all. They use too many samples, too. I don't know, there's just something about the structures and arrangements that aren't always working out that well. "Burnout (Dying to Get Out)" opens up with a blazing riff that's practically flat out black metal before reverting to some moderately paced chords and a rhythmic vocal approach that sounds a little more comfortable than the usual screaming, even throwing some quick spurts of singing in. Then the title track opens with some melodic riffing (including a nice lead line) that sounds more modern and leads to some tremolo picking. The latter half of the record is a lot better, what with a few more straightforward brutal tracks like "Endless Departure" and "Seven Works of Art" to keep shit moving, and "Human Shield" is a pretty fucking menacing piece of work to boot. Dwid does a few brief guest appearances in "Dogma" and "Fever Rising", too. The recording is pretty damn good, though. The drums are taught but not too flimsy, the bass tone is audible, and the guitars are crisp. I'm glad the vocals are deep in with the instruments, because otherwise there could be a major problem. If I could change anything I'd give the bass more definition to try and let it beef up the guitars a little more. The layout's not really my thing. I like some of the cryptic religious paintings and the icon used on the front cover, but the flames are generic and the way the text is presented is really plain and boring looking. The lyrics cover everything from personal issues to attacks on certain political issues, religion, etc. "Look around you, it's the end of human kind, The signs of the times, the writing's on the wall, Soon our race begins its fall into darkness." In all honesty I am disappointed with this record. I was totally amped up and ready to be blown away by this, but aside from some crushing riffs and all that, I find it to be a little boring. There are maybe two or three songs here that totally kick ass from start to finish. It just kind of seems like they've lost a bit of their focus and are going through a transitional phase where they're trying to bring in some new influences without shedding their roots (I mean, what's up with the piano and experimental textures/spoken vocals of "Not Meant to Be"? It's a two-minute track that sticks out like a sore thumb.), and that's theoretically fine, but... this record certainly suffers. Take the heavier and more clear cut songs and turn this into an EP and you'd be in business, but all the people out there going apeshit over this CD are crazy. A handful of killer tracks doesn't make this a formidable return. And don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of Congress and I respect their history... it's as a fan that I have to be so hard on this. (6/10)
Running time - 38:53, Tracks: 11
[Notable tracks: Burnout (Dying to Get Out), Endless Departure, Human Shield]
Goodlife Recordings - http://www.goodliferecordings.com

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