Band: Zero Hour Album: Dark Reveiver Label: Sensory Records Rating: 7/10 Website: http://zerohourweb.com BUY NOW!

Is Metalcore really metal? With more and more teenagers sporting Killswitch Engage t-shirts and the like, the question remains amongst fans more in favor of a heavier sound. Can this sad combination of Emo, Pop and Metal truly count itself as a member of the divine faith? Well if you are one that says nay, then you share my view. Metalcore, along with nu-metal and hardcore, is one of the select few sub-genres that belong to two entirely different major ones. While admittedly more on the metal side of the line, quartet Zero Hour are undeniably part of the Metalcore genus, saved only by the thrash influences that appear often throughout their latest album Dark Receiver. I put the Metalcore classification in this case mainly down to the disturbingly pop like vocals. I’ve heard singers from alternative bands that fit the heavy music better than Chris Salinas, which is a great shame because musically, this album is, up there amongst the likes of Machine Head's 'The Blackening'... It begins promisingly with a simple but satisfyingly heavy melodic riff accompanied by some even more simplistic, driving drums...but as I my hopes begin to rise and I sit up in my seat, sound breaks the instrumental ice and the whole scene erupts into a frenzy of whiney crap. Frankly, for the life of me, I just cannot fathom the choice of vocalist by the band. It is a good singing voice, great even...maybe for a church choir or boy band, but in most places there is simply no sign of any harsh quality at all and when we do hear a rougher pattern it is, without fail, accompanied by some over the top electronic enhancement. I make no apologies for the fact that I personally prefer screaming in metal, I just believe it works better with the style of music and allows for more concentration on the more important music beneath. Having said that, I do not believe that this applies across the board, and in genres such as power metal I believe having a clean vocal sound can enhance the music. With this otherwise brilliant material however, more reminiscent of thrash than anything else, there is an absolute need for something more coarse. Almost every track on the album follows the same pattern, an intense, strong opening riff making way for more of a complex Dragonforce style sequence, ruined in the end by the thin vocals. My favourite track has to be the pure bass solo, 'Tendonitis', which is almost funny in some places, though I can't quite put my finger on why...it could be the toddler voice politely requesting, in a teletubby manner, that I ‘come back soon’ at the end of it!... Overall...an extremely good album with ripping chords and thumping drums which has sadly been almost completely ruined by a voice that just doesn't belong. It's as simple as that i'm afraid. Although I am slightly reluctant to give the high mark that I’m giving, I feel it unjust to penalize what is essentially a fantastic album just because of the vocals. Although they weren't to my taste, I could imagine to fans of ‘Bullet for my Valentine’ they would fit just fine! Lewis Klein Back to Reviews