Shallow Ground - The End Of Everything (2013)

Shallow Ground - The End Of Everything

Time and time again the world is on its knees, waiting to undergo destruction, death and pain according to a behemoth plan to cease to exit. Prophecies will always be there, as if were pillars of light showing the upcoming road, but will there source and saying be done? I’d guess one will have to anticipate patiently for what will be next on the table of options for the perpetuation and prolongation of the human race. Sometimes I slightly scare the shit out of myself with these kinds of words about an impending doom, but all is fair when wishing to start a new argument or presentation. Again I stumbled upon another version of the end of time, of everything. This time through the drenching figure of the assorted US Thrash Metal chunk of gist named SHALLOW GROUND and their debut album, “The End Of Everything”, via Killer Metal Records. In short, SHALLOW GROUND have been one of those band’s that began in a distant point in time only to reaffirm themselves years later. Through their newly release, the theme leading to the end has never sounded so gloomy or melancholic than this, albeit being somewhat spirited about it at times.

Going through the info provided to me, along with the listening sessions I had with this album, SHALLOW GROUND asserted themselves as a nasty diverse musical entity. As a Thrash Metal, especially the US kind of the late 80s and early 90s, it was easy for me to fathom and follow the qualities of their direction. Furthermore, their concept of Thrash Metal took them into various of areas within the Metal world. SHALLOW GROUND are dripping with the anguish, torment and ambiguity of BLACK SABBATH, spreading their admiration for NWOBHM capturing several elements of the early IRON MAIDEN melodic edge and complex rhythm arrangements, yet above all this band has Thrash strapped to their side, earsplitting like TESTAMENT, EXODUS, FORBIDDEN and early SLAYER. It appears to be a rather common constitution of routes, especially for a Thrash Metal band, but I have to admit the music’s nebulousness and depth, aren’t a conjoint matter. Based mostly on the rhythm guitars to carve into the flesh, yet even the try hard rhythm section also mattered, SHALLOW GROUND sure display quite a show, though I wouldn’t discourage the twin guitar axe attack of lead fretwork astuteness and 80s traditional Metal savvy. Furthermore, and that is a baffle on my part, there is the vocal line. Keith Letourneau, one of the founding members manning the vocals and guitar, sounds like an unrestrained beastly man, so much forcefulness and conviction as if ready for assault and battery, has that Matt Barlow within but turning even closer to the boastfulness of Rob Dukes, not a softer side there folks. Even while writing, I didn’t know quite how to perceive his singing. I like both Barlow and Dukes, and Letourneau has it in him, but sometimes I didn’t know how to mix him with the music around him.

That leads me to my next point and my issues with “The End Of Everything”. I will start from the end, I think that there is a lot within this release that could be comprehended as a fine salute to old school Metal, whether the sound engineering which wasn’t half bad or the musical pattern, leaning mainly on the old US Metal scene and its influences. There were plenty of powerful jiffies and ticks that are hard to count, crazed and dreary moments of palm muted offensives, solo discharges and harmonic uproars that inspired, but it came up to the finality after the bomb, “The End Of Everything” ended up being tiresome and overly lengthy. Nearly the entire song list seemed like parched stuffing wishing to be all there in full without letting go of everything. I didn’t mean for compromises as a band needs to show all of its might, but the overall extended attention and addition of details, made this walk as if it was treading in mud. “The End of Everything” and the Thrasholic “Prostitution”, were able to lift me up from the catacombs into the next level of Thrash’s bloody heaviness. “The End Of Everything” isn’t a Doom / Thrash release, but its Epic proportions capsized its ability to shine even more, thus making this listener tired and red. Nonetheless, SHALLOW GROUND could use your responsiveness and heed to their version of catastrophe.

copas from http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/s_2/shallow-ground-the.htm

Tracklist:
1. Shallow Ground
2. Death & Destruction
3. Black Rose
4. The End of Everything
5. Whence They Came
6. Before The Dawn
7. Rebirth
8. Prostitution
9. Cleansing of the Hollow
10. Darkness
11. I.D.G.A.F.

TKP

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