Threat Signal have been kind of treading water for a few years now, but their new self-titled release sees them trying to take their brand of 'Meshuggah-meets-metalcore' to a seemingly new level. Not that Threat Signal is in any ways unique or groundbreaking, but it shows the Canadian band at least attempting to up the ante somewhat in a career that's kind of stagnated since their powerful debut Under Reprisal back in 2006.
At the center of it all is guitarist Travis Montgomery, who throws an assortment of riffs and fills at the listener that helps elevate these songs to levels that would normally classify as somewhat generic. He gives tracks like "Comatose", "New World Order", and "Disposition" a Fear Factory/Meshuggah feel, with plenty of thunder and complex riffs, while underneath him jackhammer drum patterns & bass lines create a formidable rhythm. Vocalist Jon Howard offers up a variety of screams, growls, and clean passages, and while he isn't the most interesting or unique sounding singer in extreme metal, he does fit the style of music that Threat Signal delivers.
In the end though, despite some bright moments, Threat Signal just doesn't prove to be anything special, and it's an album that, quite frankly, we've heard before from countless other bands. It's brutal in spots, more than competently played and executed, but after repeated spins, there's just not a lot here that warrants coming back for more in the months and years ahead.
Track Listing
1. Uncensored (3:14)
2. Comatose (3:30)
3. New World Order (5:49)
4. Trust in None (6:15)
5. Face the Day (4:17)
6. Fallen Disciples (4:55)
7. Disposition (5:40)
8. Death Before Dishonor (4:55)
9. Buried Alive (6:14)
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