UMUR
"The Organization" is the self-titled debut full-length studio album by US alternative heavy metal act The Organization. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in 1993. The Organization were formed when Death Angel disbanded in 1991 after lead vocalist Mark Osegueda left to go to college. The four remaining members decided to drop the Death Angel name and formed The Organization. Rob Cavestany took over the vocal duties in addition to playing guitar. The Organization were a rather shortlived act though and disbanded in 1995 as a consequence of bassist Dennis Pepa leaving. They released this debut album and "Savor the Flavor (1995)" before splitting up.
Death Angel´s take on thrash metal were always a bit different and sligthly more melodic than most of their contemporaries, but the music style on "The Organization" is nevertheless a bit surprising. There are only few nods back to their thrash metal roots and instead we´re presented to a more catchy and accessible alternative heavy metal style. There are some funky traits here and there that remind me of Mordred and Infectious Grooves (and even a few nods toward early Alice in Chains), but The Organization have a relatively original style and that´s of course always admirable. If you are familiar with Death Angel it´s no surprise that The Organization are a very well playing act, and Rob Cavestany proves to be a rather skilled vocalist with a pleasant voice. There is an uplifting rocking spirit in the music that´s very enjoyable and it´s obvious the band have tried to distance themselves from their musical past (start fresh so to speak) and fully succeed in doing so. The professional and powerful sound production is another asset that help bring out the best in the music.
The quality of the material is consistent throughout and while the songwriting might lack that final lasting memorability factor that could have pushed the album to a higher level, "The Organization" is through and through a strong release. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.