Later project of Mike Hickey, whose claim to metal fame came from being one of the guitarists to replace Mantas in Venom and then later going on to Cronos' eponymous band. I wasn't really expecting any particular style, although the band name sounds like either stereotypical black metal or stoner/doom (thinking along Goatsnake lines). I enjoy Calm Before the Storm more than the majority of old-school Venom fans seem to as well as the Cronos solo stuff, so I had quite positive expectations.
And those were shattered almost immediately. This is a far more groovy and modernized metal than I typically like, sounding somewhat like Black Label Society at times. Some parts are better than others but I just couldn't get into the music or the shouty vocals that much. Most of the bonus demo tracks are less polished and have less processed vocals (making them sound even more forced), but otherwise don't offer anything significantly better or worse. The one saving grace of this CD is the last track, "Tool Town Grinder," which is a nod to Mike's stint as a live guitarist for Carcass during the Heartwork tour. The guitar tone is somewhat Heartwork-like, although the riffage and overall approach seem to be in a more primitive Reek/Symphonies vein. As you can expect, since I like it, the track is only 15 seconds long. Quite a shame, as I would have far preferred an EP full of stuff in the same style.
