KORPIUS – Shades of Black
- Posted on 14-11-2011
On first impression “Shades of Black” struck me as a potentially great technical melodeath album. The production is strong, the vocals are brutally executed, the instrumentation is flawless and the riffing is like tearing razors. Still, appearances can be deceiving. It goes to show that a stew with all the right elements doesn’t necessarily make a good blend.
My main problem with Korpius is that after repeated listening, I don’t remember a thing of what I heard. Neither the riffs, nor the melodic content is particularly memorable. The music appears arbitrary, unoriginal and unengaged. It really is a shame, since the sound and technical performance is right up my alley.
Don’t be discouraged by this review though. My subjective view on the matter might not apply to you. The quality of this album is undeniable, it just doesn’t stick to my mucus membrane. There is no reason why Korpius could not turn this totally around on their next album, so I cross my fingers and wish them good luck. Maybe next time around we’ll become good friends.