Reviews
CosmosGaming, USA
09/28/2012
Ukraine’s Sectorial has been playing together since 2000, but it wasn’t until 2007 that they decided to start recording material and getting their name out there. After a few EP’s the band has released their debut album Erase and Reborn the Humanity and it mixes together a whole slew of metal genres. The primary styles are grindcore and thrash, but there are some folk and death metal elements that pop up throughout the course of the release. It’s an interesting mix that gives the band a unique sound, and while there are a few missteps this is still a strong and polished effort.
After a spacey intro Sectorial launches right into their instrumental assault, hitting listeners with fast paced blasts and unrelenting waves of drumming. It’s fairly typical sounding grindcore with a bit of a death metal edge to the tonality, and the recording quality gives the instrumentals a polished feel. But by the time the next track comes on it is clear that this is not going to be your typical grind album, as the tempo not only slows down but some folk instruments are added into the mix which provides a completely different sound. These influences pop up every once in a while, and on some of the later tracks the guitarists throw down some licks that sound inspired by the classic thrash bands. There’s a lot of variation in the 45 minute running time, and for the majority of it the group is able to impress. But a few of the experimental numbers drag on for a bit too long and become repetitive, and a little more fine tuning could help.
Lead singer Burz has a harsh scream that is able to go up and down in pitch throughout the course of the album. Sometimes he goes for a lower growl while on other tracks his vocals head into a higher scream, and this ensures that his performance doesn’t become repetitive at any point. The level of intensity that Burz brings to the table is admirable, and while his vocal style didn’t have any particular nuances that made it stand out in my mind it suits the material perfectly and makes the album enjoyable to listen to. The Phobia cover “Rise Up!” is admirable too, as the vocals have the right amount of energy to do the song justice.
Sectorial’s experimentation with folk elements in the context of a grindcore/thrash album works surprisingly well, but there are a few too many moments that feel like unnecessary filler. But when the band nails the combination of sounds it results in some killer arrangements and because of this Erase and Reborn the Humanity is worth giving a shot. It’s nice to find that there is still room for unique ideas in this side of the metal world, and with a little more fine tuning this group could make a major impression on listeners.
http://www.metalscrap.org.ua/
Chris Dahlberg
September 16, 2012
After a spacey intro Sectorial launches right into their instrumental assault, hitting listeners with fast paced blasts and unrelenting waves of drumming. It’s fairly typical sounding grindcore with a bit of a death metal edge to the tonality, and the recording quality gives the instrumentals a polished feel. But by the time the next track comes on it is clear that this is not going to be your typical grind album, as the tempo not only slows down but some folk instruments are added into the mix which provides a completely different sound. These influences pop up every once in a while, and on some of the later tracks the guitarists throw down some licks that sound inspired by the classic thrash bands. There’s a lot of variation in the 45 minute running time, and for the majority of it the group is able to impress. But a few of the experimental numbers drag on for a bit too long and become repetitive, and a little more fine tuning could help.
Lead singer Burz has a harsh scream that is able to go up and down in pitch throughout the course of the album. Sometimes he goes for a lower growl while on other tracks his vocals head into a higher scream, and this ensures that his performance doesn’t become repetitive at any point. The level of intensity that Burz brings to the table is admirable, and while his vocal style didn’t have any particular nuances that made it stand out in my mind it suits the material perfectly and makes the album enjoyable to listen to. The Phobia cover “Rise Up!” is admirable too, as the vocals have the right amount of energy to do the song justice.
Sectorial’s experimentation with folk elements in the context of a grindcore/thrash album works surprisingly well, but there are a few too many moments that feel like unnecessary filler. But when the band nails the combination of sounds it results in some killer arrangements and because of this Erase and Reborn the Humanity is worth giving a shot. It’s nice to find that there is still room for unique ideas in this side of the metal world, and with a little more fine tuning this group could make a major impression on listeners.
http://www.metalscrap.org.ua/
Chris Dahlberg
September 16, 2012