Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Almost Rage
Released: 2011
Length: 35:28
Rating: 4/5
Coastal thrash metal outfit Almost Rage is no stranger to the Slovenian metal scene. They used to operate as a trio under the name The Fifth Season, then around 2007/2008 renamed themselves Almost Rage. They’ve been going under that name ever since, playing a good number of gigs around Slovenia, beefing up the lineup with a fourth member, and finally putting out the long-awaited debut, which they titled, a bit self-mockingly (and fittingly for the band’s name), Almost There..
Musically, Almost Rage swim mainly in thrash metal waters, but unlike most thrash bands at home (and abroad), they (deliberately) don’t try to sound either American or German. Despite the proximity of the sea, you can’t say Almost Rage represent Slovenian “Bay Area” thrash, and the hefty melodic component of their music sets them apart from the aggression and brutality of Teutonic thrash too. The guys from the coast have found a middle path and so successfully carved out their own thrash niche; what Arizona’s Sacred Reich are for American thrash, Almost Rage are for Slovenian thrash metal. On Almost There.., the band nails the right balance between aggression and ferocity, triumphantly built on raw, mostly uncomplicated and fairly simple riffs and the brutal, rarely clean vocals of Edi Udovič. The vocals mostly roar in a fierce half-growl that at times recalls Max Cavalera, and in the most aggressive moments even Chuck Billy (Testament) in the Demonic and Low era. The varied vocals keep the music colorful and dynamic, ranging from those brutal lows to clean vocal lines that are a little reminiscent of James Hetfield, and Edi occasionally reaches for more modern screams too (very unobtrusive and excellently done in the chorus of Scars). The guys prove that Almost Rage are no copy of their idols with an instrumental storm that is rooted in thrash but also dips generously into melody and groove parts that lean slightly toward Pantera. Almost Rage don’t just do rushing and ultra-fast shredding and proving they can run their fingers up and down their guitar necks to the bone – the coastal foursome would rather build on dynamics and variety in the songs, whose tempos run all the way from the breakneck speed of opener Mindstorm (including a masterfully played solo in the first seconds of the album), through the infectious melodies of the epic single Red, to slower, groovy tracks like The Dark Side and the mid-tempo monsters Immortal Thoughts and Scars. With the extra guitarist, Almost Rage have stepped up another notch, and newcomer Bojan Sinkovič (ex-Root a` Baloota) has built a solid guitar duo together with Iztok Bajc. With the twin guitar playing and its interweaving with the bass lines, the music comes through even more, though in places I’d have wanted stronger, more carefully crafted riffs, as they sometimes come off a bit empty and already-heard. The album’s biggest flaw, though, hides in its second half, since practically all the songs on the second half of the record kick off in the same or a similar way – with a joint explosion of drums and guitars. The songs themselves lose nothing because of this, they’re actually very solid, even excellent, they just lose a bit of their punch.
Almost There.. is a debut we waited (way too) long for, and it’s great to hear that on it Almost Rage managed to capture, in just under forty minutes, the tearing force of a hurricane-strength bora and skillfully weave it together with melody, variety, and gusts of wind at different speeds. If the debut already has us “almost there,” I’m looking forward to hearing its successor, which will apparently get us “there.”
Lineup
Iztok Bajc – guitar
Edo Udovič – vocals, bass
Bojan Sinkovič – guitar, backing vocals
Igor Marasovič – drums
Production
Tadej “Sunshine” Tadič
Tracklist
1. Mindstorm
2. Red
3. The Dark Side
4. Immortal Thoughts
5. Denied Dreams
6. Scars
7. Alone
8. Desert
