Time Signature
Brotherhood of the midnight sun...
Genre: crossover
"Snake Church" is the latest offering from the crossover band Ringworm. This being their seventh full-length effort (in addition to countless underground releases) from a band that was formed in 1991, one might expect to hear inklings of fatigue on the album.
Well, if that's what you expect, you're wrong. From beginning to end "Snake Curch" is an onslaught of aggressive and angry crossover thrash which - to my ears - leans a bit more to the hardcore side than to the thrash side. The listener is bombarded with uptempo simple, but effective, guitar riffs accompanied by fast drums and a crunchy bass. The barrages of aggressive speed are punctuated by well-timed heavy hardcore-style breakdowns which re as moshing-inviting as anything can be.
The production is pretty good, with the guitars being crunchy, yet well-defined, and the drums packing a wallop (in particular the bass drum is like a kick in the guts). The songs themselves are relatively short but still long enough that the listener can get into the groove. Admittedly, there is not too much variation on the album, and the angrily yelled vocals do not add much melody either (the guitar solos are very melodic though). Then again, that's not the point of this album. This album is all about aggression and energy. And, in that department, it delivers.
While probably not something that appeals to all metalheads, those of you who like hardcore and crossover thrash should find this a very enjoyable listen.