Press - Reviews
27th October 2008
Zoom Code review, Gothtronic
Thanatoschizo
Zoom Code
CD, My Kingdom Music, 2008
When this Portuguese band came into existence at the end of the last century, they called themselves Thanatos. However, that was already the monicker of the venerable Dutch death/thrash veterans from Rotterdam since 1984, so in 2001 they changed to the current name. Seven years later there's "Zoom Code", their fourth album. Their debut was an eclectic potpourri of extreme metal with all the common subgenres present, but these days the group has a significantly more concordant sound. Atmospheric doom/death metal with a slightly progressive disposition and a measured usage of electronic elements is what's being presented here to the listeners in eleven songs, which places ThanatoSchizO somewhere between The Gathering and Trail Of Tears. Furthermore they've picked up a few pointers from compatriots Moonspell, while they also remind me of Silent Stream Of Godless Elegy. Despite the sufficient presence of raucous moments in the music as well as the mordacious death grunt which, even though it fills a supportive role, is impossible to miss, this cd can be categorized as being rather accessible thanks to the often sparkling and pleasant regular female and male vocals and the agreeable variance between heavy and lighter episodes. Technical expertise and spontaneousness go together hand in hand here, the catchy hymns with their brooding synths and occasionally peppery rhythms therefore sound fresh and modern.
would like to give special attention to several outstanding songs; the propulsive first track "Thick 'N' Blurry" immediately grabs you by the throat with its power riffs, while follow-up "L." is as impressive as it is swinging, thanks to the Middle Eastern undercurrent and the captivating violin solo. The listener-friendly song "Pleasure Pursuit" has a smooth vibe and might have single qualities, "Last Of The Few" sounds more staid and ominous in comparison. "Pale Blue Perishes" shows that it's possible to combine gothic metal with prog rock without having the result automatically sound like Opeth, a solid evidence of ThanatoSchizO's outstanding skill level. Now it's true that this equipoised and variegated cd isn't overly innovative, but it does manage to stand out in the sea of related releases. Also not unimportant: "Zoom Code" simply sounds congenial. [8/10]
Nanhold
Thanatoschizo
Zoom Code
CD, My Kingdom Music, 2008
When this Portuguese band came into existence at the end of the last century, they called themselves Thanatos. However, that was already the monicker of the venerable Dutch death/thrash veterans from Rotterdam since 1984, so in 2001 they changed to the current name. Seven years later there's "Zoom Code", their fourth album. Their debut was an eclectic potpourri of extreme metal with all the common subgenres present, but these days the group has a significantly more concordant sound. Atmospheric doom/death metal with a slightly progressive disposition and a measured usage of electronic elements is what's being presented here to the listeners in eleven songs, which places ThanatoSchizO somewhere between The Gathering and Trail Of Tears. Furthermore they've picked up a few pointers from compatriots Moonspell, while they also remind me of Silent Stream Of Godless Elegy. Despite the sufficient presence of raucous moments in the music as well as the mordacious death grunt which, even though it fills a supportive role, is impossible to miss, this cd can be categorized as being rather accessible thanks to the often sparkling and pleasant regular female and male vocals and the agreeable variance between heavy and lighter episodes. Technical expertise and spontaneousness go together hand in hand here, the catchy hymns with their brooding synths and occasionally peppery rhythms therefore sound fresh and modern.
would like to give special attention to several outstanding songs; the propulsive first track "Thick 'N' Blurry" immediately grabs you by the throat with its power riffs, while follow-up "L." is as impressive as it is swinging, thanks to the Middle Eastern undercurrent and the captivating violin solo. The listener-friendly song "Pleasure Pursuit" has a smooth vibe and might have single qualities, "Last Of The Few" sounds more staid and ominous in comparison. "Pale Blue Perishes" shows that it's possible to combine gothic metal with prog rock without having the result automatically sound like Opeth, a solid evidence of ThanatoSchizO's outstanding skill level. Now it's true that this equipoised and variegated cd isn't overly innovative, but it does manage to stand out in the sea of related releases. Also not unimportant: "Zoom Code" simply sounds congenial. [8/10]
Nanhold
