EKTOMORF

This is the eighth album from these Hungarians and what a kicking album it is (in a heavy controlled violence type of way)! From the opening go for the throat riff of ‘Rat War’, Ektomorf make their intentions very clear. This opening track put me in mind of Soulfly on full power with their bounce-back groove and repetitive refrains, although it isn’t too long before the mighty Prong come to mind as the quasi-industrial stomp of ‘Nothing Left’ starts up - this could easily have sat with tracks from Prong’s ‘Cleansing’. With the longest track clocking in at 3’39” there are no epics on offer here, but if you want stomping, industrial sounding heavy metal then you’ve come to the right place. There is simplicity, a brutality and control that lives within the groove of this album that just makes it simply catchy. Down tuned guitars, pulsating in and out with the rhythm gives a feeling of listening to Meshuggah (but without the mathematics!), and as mentioned before there is the (usual for this band) comparisons with Soulfly and Prong BUT there is enough here within the songwriting and deliverance to help keep Ektomorf relevant sounding even if this album does nothing to shake previous comparisons. Highlights come thick and fast, though, with the aforementioned ‘Rat War’ and ‘Nothing Left’ being almost perfect examples of controlled riffing instilled with hatred and a guest appearance from Stuck Mojo’s Lord Nelson on ‘Sick Of It All’ helps break the album up with a different voice until we are heading for the finish line with four tracks ending with the (slightly more) up-tempo ‘Breed The Fire’ which left me feeling like I wanted to listen to the album again - so on goes ‘Rat War’!

LABEL:

FORMAT:

AFM Records

Album

WHAT DOESN'T KILL ME

Review by Paul Sims

RUNNING TIME:

37:39

RELEASE DATE:

20th March 2009

TRACK LISTING

1) Rat War
2) Nothing Left
3) What Doesn't Kill Me
4) Revenge To All
5) Love and Live
6) I Can See You
7) I Got It All
8) New Life
9) Sick Of It All
10) It's Up To You
11) Envy
12) Scream; 13) Breed The Fire

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Hungary

"There is simplicity, a brutality and control that lives within the groove of this album that just makes it simply catchy."