THIS MORTAL COIL

This is a difficult review that I 've tried to avoid writing. In a year that EVERYONE released great (to say the least) albums you expect mindblowing releases from your favorite bands. So here we have a very good album but few things hold it down.

My first problem is the production, which is a mystery if you consider the previous works of Neil Kernon. Some called it uneven, I will call it lame, too fuzzy guitars, no depth to the whole music. It feels like an old vinyl through a poor stereo. I agree with the comment that they should re-produce it.

And the second problem is Alder's sound. In some songs (especially the heavy ones) it doesn't fit. It is too low for this kind of song and the production drowns it. Is like a noose around his throat, it sounds single-dimensional. I don't believe that he lost it, something went wrong I think.

Third problem, there are great compositions that could gone better, I mean 3-4 songs here are at the level of Sapphire but the band choose to be more power than prog, more heavy. Nevertheless in the second part of the album things went better, since it is more emotional.

If you put these aside, what you get? Strong compositions, great melodies, incredible and technical instrumental parts. It is all heavier and dark, I think due to Nick's health issues. This is working well, Redemption were always heavy, early thrash infuences were always around, check No Tickets To The Funeral. Sometimes you wonder if these guys can play slow riffing. Noonday Devil is the heavier moment of this, just like Leviathan Rising was for the previous album. And then you get Let It Rain, one of this year's best songs and a couple more that are emotional like this, f.i. Perfect.

So after 3-4 spins I started really liking it. It is a grower, it is so strong that you forget about the problems. You just hold on to what you love about this band, powerfull riffing with emotional voice. This is no Snowfall and I don't ever consider comparing it with Fullness of Time, but it is a very good album. At the end of the day, I still consider myself a die hard fan of them.