TRANSHUMAN

"Transhuman" is the 5th full-length studio album by US thrash/metalcore/ progressive metal act Believer. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in April 2011 as number two album out of a three album deal the band inked with the label upon their return to the scene (Believer were split-up from 1994 to 2005).

"Gabriel (2009)" Was a strong return to the scene. A mix of thrash metal, progressive metal and a slight metalcore element worked really well. "Transhuman" is a rather different beast though and upon first listen I´ll admit I was a bit shocked. The thrash metal elements which have always been the basis of the band´s sound are not very dominant on "Transhuman". Instead it´s the progressive metal and the melodic metalcore elements of the band´s sound that are now in focus. "Transhuman" is as a consequence less harsh than any of the previous releases by the band. Keyboards are now an integrated and rather dominant part of the sound. That was to some degree also the case with "Gabriel", but much more on "Transhuman". Lead vocalist Kurt Bachman´s usually caustic vocal delivery is now much more melodic. He has maintained a raw tone though so don´t expect angelic singing.

The tracks vary between melodic metalcore and melodic progressive metal, which means that most of the songs are vers/chorus based with a strong emphasis on hook laden chorus lines (not completely unlike an act like Killswitch Engage), while a few have more intricate progressive structures (examples are "Ego Machine" and "Mindsteps"). The focus is always on accessebility and memorability though.

The sound production is very professional and detailed. I think the album lacks the warmer more full sound that "Gabriel" had, but the sound production suits the new musical direction very well.

"Transhuman" doesn´t exactly go down well with my personal tastes, and I really do miss the thrashy riffs, but personal tastes aside, "Transhuman" is a very professional and at times quite intriguing progressive metalcore album that I´m sure will appeal to a great deal of listeners. Fortunately after my shock reaction had passed upon my initial listen, I´ve found that the album has grown on me considerably and I won´t rule out the possibility that "Transhuman" might even grow on me to a degree where I´ll end up being really fond of the album. For now a 3.5 star (70%) rating is warranted. I think Believer lost just a slight bit of their trademark sound on this album, but they are still a very unique sounding act and that always deserves praise.