Mascot
2007
1. Fashioned From Dust
2. Wash the Planet Clean
3. Hail to the Chief
4. Wormwod
5. Liberty Lying Bleeding
6. Hybridized
7. Tiamats Fall
8. WPD
9. Lamb to the Slaughter
10. Extinct
After a few years absence, Agent Steel return once again with the effort Alienigma, It's been a good 4 years since Order Of The Illuminati, but that's not so unusual considering they aren't exactly the most prolific of bands. There was a 4 year gap between the last two as well.
Now that is it here, the question as always is, was it worth the wait? Well sadly I have to lean toward a No with this one. Alienigma just comes off as Agent Steel filler more or less. The songs here just seem kinda weak and often more oriented toward low energy chugging riffs than the balls out speed and energy I tend to enjoy from the band. The vocals also seem oddly subdued and more oriented toward the low and gruff than the awesome screams Bruce Hall has shown himself capable of in the past. Some of the riffs here and there seem as cool as ever with their quick paced, slashing nature but they seem less frequent than in the past and I have trouble latching onto many of these songs. One oddity on the release is the track Lamb To The Slaughter which sounds like Agent Steel's attempt at almost death metal with some incomprehensible vocals and rushed sounding music. Definitely one I'd have cut from the album as it seems out of place and pretty lame to these ears.
In the end I've just gotta call this one a fairly mediocre release. I don't hate it, but at times it does seem there's too much chugging going on and too little creativity or energy in the vocals or music. Not an awful release, but definitely what I would call a disappointing one.
Highlights: Tiamats Fall
Rating - 2.5/5
2. Wash the Planet Clean
3. Hail to the Chief
4. Wormwod
5. Liberty Lying Bleeding
6. Hybridized
7. Tiamats Fall
8. WPD
9. Lamb to the Slaughter
10. Extinct
After a few years absence, Agent Steel return once again with the effort Alienigma, It's been a good 4 years since Order Of The Illuminati, but that's not so unusual considering they aren't exactly the most prolific of bands. There was a 4 year gap between the last two as well.
Now that is it here, the question as always is, was it worth the wait? Well sadly I have to lean toward a No with this one. Alienigma just comes off as Agent Steel filler more or less. The songs here just seem kinda weak and often more oriented toward low energy chugging riffs than the balls out speed and energy I tend to enjoy from the band. The vocals also seem oddly subdued and more oriented toward the low and gruff than the awesome screams Bruce Hall has shown himself capable of in the past. Some of the riffs here and there seem as cool as ever with their quick paced, slashing nature but they seem less frequent than in the past and I have trouble latching onto many of these songs. One oddity on the release is the track Lamb To The Slaughter which sounds like Agent Steel's attempt at almost death metal with some incomprehensible vocals and rushed sounding music. Definitely one I'd have cut from the album as it seems out of place and pretty lame to these ears.
In the end I've just gotta call this one a fairly mediocre release. I don't hate it, but at times it does seem there's too much chugging going on and too little creativity or energy in the vocals or music. Not an awful release, but definitely what I would call a disappointing one.
Highlights: Tiamats Fall
Rating - 2.5/5
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