Artist: Scenario II
Label: Self-released
Release: 2010
Length: 37:51
Rating: 4.8/5
The Dutch quintet, pardon, sextet, Scenario II, a lineup whose steel core is made up of members of Aura, Silent Edge, Fuelblooded, Detonation, Magion and Pastor of Muppets, is closing out 2010 right on form with a record that deserves much more than a passing mention in our archives. If the hottest thirst and craving for musical expression has only ever been quenched for you once Swedish squadrons of melodic death metal filled your ears, and among them you felt closest to Mercenary, In Flames, Soilwork, the more progressive pearly shine of Opeth and the pan-European high-octane alliance of Arch enemy, then Sceanrio II is the next big thing on your list, and Uniforms Of Death the next mantra that will properly snap your neck vertebrae, at least in this final stretch of the year of recession and metal highlights!
Because this is about much more than just music: the September offering to the metal gods of the pagan underground is a truly first-rate piece of modern polish. A sextet of male testosterone aggression, with Koen’s guttural resolve and the butcher-shop precision of the guitar duo Dani and Mark, balanced out, and not at all cloyingly, by the female energy and operatic sex appeal of vocalist Myrthe. The rhythm section is just as deserving of a spot in the top league, and listening to it you’ll almost forget that Scenario II are actually a complete virgin name to the metal crowd. A penchant for polished ornamentation, modern hair-splitting studio slog and an intense drive to push past their own limits has produced a truly unique sonic experience that, despite the fact that the band is anything but stable and consistent when it comes to names in the lineup, has reached a quality plateau of the highest caliber. The central factor, as said, is the creative fever that guitarist Mark van Doren skillfully weaves into the audible spectrum of baroque, death-metal-tinged thrash texture in the songs. The Gothenburg imperative of melody and brutality is not for a moment kitschy, redundant or cliché! Coming out of the former band Aura, this new musical construct got all the elements for a successful existence, an evolutionary leap even higher and, above all, a solid foundation for further creation. Uniforms Of Death is a solid, aggressive cannonade of inventive riffs, organically bound to the guttural oratory of singer Bas (formerly of the butchers Beaverstone) and the erotic, angelic-sounding nymph Melanie Mulder (who is otherwise a member of Transentience). The cherry on top is the outstanding production, to which Tommie Bonajo added a top-notch patina and the gleam of a cut diamond. Good songs, outstanding musicians and, despite the worn-out Gothenburg template, a rather original approach to the material add up to more than outstanding extreme satisfaction of every appetite, and the record is stable, strong and hooks you from the first listen.
The hope that the alliance of Mark van Dooren – Koen Romeijn, Myrthe van Beest – Michel Steenbekkers – Dani Lopez – Matt Boer will stand the test of time and stick around is also putting the Netherlands on the map of modern tectonics in golden letters. Scenario II are a fresh argument for keeping the faith in the quality of death metal oratory, a heartfelt extreme craving for more very soon, and a new commandment of daily musical idolatry! With their debut, Scenario II steamrolled all doubts and won the lion’s share of my melody-loving death metal heart, at least, and of my metal soul that’s so partial to Swedish musical experiments! Big yes from me!
This review was made in collaboration between Rock Hard Slovenija and RockLine.
Lineup
Koen Romeijn – vocals
Myrthe van Beest – vocals
Mark van Dooren – guitar
Dani – guitar
Michel Steenbekkers – bass
Matt – drums
Production
Tommie Bonajo
Tracklist
1. MMXII
2. Doomsday
3. Hallowed
4. Uniforms Of Death
5. Cyanide Suicide
6. Prelude To …
7. … Forever
8. Limbo Inc Amnesia
9. Midnight Roulette
10. El Renacer
11. Scenario II
12. Antimatter
