By Laetitia
It happens rarely: the first song of a new record immediately draws your attention and you find yourself checking the band out within minutes. This occurred while listening to the debut of Soulnerve, called The Dying Light. This Dutch threesome blends thrash metal with a modern, melodic touch and with this formula they’ve managed to produce music that is extremely satisfying for anyone with a taste for these styles of metal.
The first track, They Come For Us All, hits you right in the face. The song has a ferocious pace, accompanied by guitar hooks, thrash riffs, growls and fast drums. That you are not dealing with a standard thrash metal record becomes apparent when the clean vocals of Koen Vroom join in. These clean vocals and also the harmonies and the anthem-like backing vocals are reminiscent of the metal core genre. Altogether, it results in a collection of surprisingly compelling songs.
There is not a moment on this album where Soulnerve loses momentum. The variety within the songs ensures that you’ll keep listening and prevents the feeling that you are hearing the same tune over and over again. However, this same aspect may cause the feeling of being overwhelmed by all that is happening on this album. That is about the time you arrive at Lost. In comparison to the other songs, the intensity on this instrumental track is toned down a notch and it opens up some space for the musicians to demonstrate their technique.
All in all, The Dying Light is the kind of debut that other bands probably listen to in awe. The production sounds top-notch, the song writing is dynamic and it’s easy to listen to. As said, metal fans with a taste for modern, melodic thrash should certainly check Soulnerve.
Rating: 8/10
Track list:
1. They Come For Us All
2. The Dying Light
3. My Demise
4. Scavengers
5. Delirium (Forever Bound)
6. Lost
7. Beyond the Sun
8. End of the Line
9. We Are The Voice
10. Salvation