One of the things that I have notice with a lot of the new metal bands is that in their search for the pummeling riff they tend to abandon their sense of melody. Then along comes these six guys from New Jersey to show the world that the two can co-exist. Mutiny Within is a band that shows a heaviness to entice the headbangers while still maintaining a clear fondness for the more melodic side. Add to that a vocalist who can dazzle with a range that can almost define the term, from a whisper to a scream and you have a real entertaining package that hits you on many levels.
From the beginning when you hear the soft lullaby like piano before a thunderous guitar shakes you violently "Awake" it is clear that these guys are going to use all weapons at their disposal to give you a maximum amount of metal mayhem along with a fondness for what a great melody can elicit from the listener too. While this band from New Jersey has been able to find a balance which is hard to resist, it is the English import, lead singer Chris Clancy who captures the essence of the band with his range that can be as sweet and melodic as any and then tear off into a guttural growl when the need strikes.
Another step in the right direction for the band is their use of the very talented guitar duo of Brandon Jacobs and Dan Bage. Working together you can hear the way that the combo draws off each other on a song like "Falling Forever" where the rhythm work is punctuated by a terrific lead melody line. A bit heavier but still following this formula is the pair again dueling on the song "Year Of Affliction". On this song you also get another secret to their recipe when keyboardist Andrew Stavola provides some very interesting piano work that is very much the light to the darkness of the guitars.
Andrew strikes once more with the very classical sounding intro and underlying melody to the very dynamic "Forsaken". Traveling into the realm of epic metal with this powerful display it brings up the one negative point that I have to make. The songs on here seem a little bit short in some cases like this one. It is over just as you are getting into it. I can see them expanding some of these tunes and it would give the listener a better chance to grasp their sound. I know that it is easier to get radio airplay this way but don't sell yourself short either!
While that is a small point it makes me want to hear these guys really let loose. There is a lot going on here and I am certainly anxious to hear as much of Mutiny Within as I can.
Now when it comes to purchasing the disc, there are some options. The 11 song disc comes with a download for the additional song "Losing Sight". There is a special edition digital download that also includes 3 live tracks. These tracks make me want to see this band perform. They transfer well live and without a doubt the power that they released in the studio is still there on stage. So when it comes to buying the disc, get as much as you can!!
I think that this is a band to definitely watch. This is an extremely good debut that has me already looking forward to more. It is a very welcome addition to the music collection.
Track listing:
1. Awake
2. Images
3. Falling Forever
4. Year Of Affliction
5. Forsaken
6. Lethean
7. Oblivion
8. Undone
9. Hours
10. Suffocate
11. Reflections
12. Losing Sight
13. Awake (Live)
14. Images (Live)
15. Lethean (Live)
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