• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Whenever a band gets compared to classic Fates Warning, then I am going to check it out. I had somehow managed to miss Trial before now, but when I got hold of this, their second album, I found myself really digging it. This is a Swedish band, but from the sound of them you would swear they were from New England, as they are definitely in that vein of slightly proggy US-Metal also home to bands like Steel Prophet, Deadly Blessing, and Sacred Oath. This album is packed with chugging, hooky riffs and quite a bit of complexity. Singer Linus Johansson is maybe not the greatest, as he has the expected upper registers, but little depth - he is certainly not in a class with Rick Mythiasin, say - but he carries things off well enough.

What I really like about this album is the depth they put into the compositions. The first spin kind of blurs by in a mass of riffs and melodies, but the more you listen, the more it unfolds and reveals little pleasures you missed the first time through, and the second. This album is just kind of a feast, and with every listen I keep finding new things I like. Recommended.