J-Man Prepare to Get Eaten... and Enjoy It

It's amazing how much you can tell about a band from their album/EP titles alone. Telling a bizarre concept story about cannibalism and "Kuru" disease, Dinner Is You is surely one hell of a rollercoaster ride. The evil, horror-based lyrics, impressive musicianship, and intricate songwriting never fail to impress me. King Diamond is the obvious reference here - the album was even mastered by guitarist Andy LaRocque. With that said, don't go into this EP thinking that Albatross is another generic clone band. Though their sound is very akin to King Diamond's, Dinner Is You is one of the most enjoyable metal releases to come out this year - don't miss it!

As mentioned, the most obvious influence in Abatross' music is King Diamond. Thus, you can expect a diverse heavy metal/thrash metal sound. I actually also hear a bit of Chuck Schuldiner influence, mainly in the songwriting and guitar bits. It's pretty apparent that guitarists Raj B and Jimmy Alexander would site Death or Control Denied as an influence, judging by this EP. There are 4 tracks on Dinner Is You, all of which are highly enjoyable. The first song, The Great Plague Of The 21st Century, is a haunting prologue with chilling lyrics and dark music. It's a great way to set the tone for the album. The Dining Table is my favorite song on the album, and features some terrific vocals by Biprorshee Das. He really is a talented vocalist, and shows it throughout the album. The Court of Kuru is a very heavy track with some really great riffs throughout. The closing track, Among the Cannibals, is a really fantastic, epic way to end the EP. It shows the more instrumentally-capable side of Albatross. Overall, this is a diverse EP that never once tires.

As I've mentioned throughout the review, the musicianship is fantastic. Every musician knows what they're doing, and they never once fail to deliver. I especially have to applaud vocalist Biprorshee Das for mastering so many vocal styles, but the instrumentalists also deliver great stuff throughout Dinner Is You.

The production is really great. It's dark, heavy, and organic enough to not sound "cheesy". Again, I'm actually reminded of the production of later Death albums (Symbolic, Sound of Perseverance). I really dig the sound of those albums, so that's great news for me. Maybe I'm crazy for hearing all of the Death influences, but between the solos, technical riffing, and production it seems pretty apparent to me.

Conclusion:

Dinner Is You is a tremendous EP by Albatross. They've really created a great debut, and this is one of the best releases to ever come from India in my opinion. If the band continues down this path and adds a bit more eclecticism, I can really see them becoming a major name in thrash/heavy metal. 4 stars are warranted for such a great EP. For only 6 dollars including shipping, there's no way you can go wrong on this one.

Time Signature The great metal of the 21st century...

Genre: heavy metal / power metal

I do not think that many Westerners have associated India with heavy metal, but with Bollywood pop culture, until Sam Dunn's "Global Metal" documentary introduced the viewers to a thriving and very varied Indian heavy metal underground scene. So, yes, the metal is alive and kicking in India ... and Albatross' debut release, the EP with the wonderfully bizarre title "Dinner Is You", shows that the Indian metal scene has a lot of high quality metal to offer the world.

"Dinner Is You" contains some high quality heavy metal music in the vein of heavy metal legend King Diamond (this EP was actually mastered by King Diamond's iconic guitarist Andy LaRoque), and I think it's professional in all possible ways. The production is crisp and clean. The music itself is well composed and interesting, full of the same kind of twists and turns known from King Diamond's own music. And the underlying lyrical concept of the EP, which is a weird horror story about cannibalism is so bizarre that it's great, and the equally bizarre artwork just fits like a glove.

The vocalist is great too. He does sometimes use a King Diamond-like falsetto, but also employs other ranges. I especially like his mid-range work (especially on "The Dining Table"), because it has a certain 70s rock quality to it that I really like. That being said, he does deserve credit for his falsetto; a lot of people try to emulate King Diamond's falsetto... and fail, because it's more difficult than you think, but Biprorshee Das does a great job of it. He really shows that he's a skilled vocalist.

So, what about the music itself? Firstly, there's the intro "The Great Plague Of The 21st Century" is a eerie atmospheric intro with creepy semi-spoken vocals (and remember, in metal, creepy is good) and eerie lyrics based on a pun on "Ring-a Ring-a Rosie".

The second track "The Dining Table" is very well composed, with lots of different parts and changes that really make for a very interesting track. I especially like the odd-timed riff that starts at 2:07 and also the way it gradually develops from muted into sustained notes.

"In the Court of Kuru" starts out with a very King Diamond-esque kind of off-beat riff, and contains several different types of riffs and cool breakdowns, as well as an atmospheric mid-section, based on a riff that reminds me a bit of the theme from "The Twilight Zone" and a lot of other good stuff, including a really nice classic metal solo.

The closing track "Among the Cannibals" is a 9-minute epic vein the same vein as the two other tracks: lots of different parts, lots of changes and a lot of magnificent riffage. There are a couple of riffs in this song that remind me of the type of riffage that Chuck Schuldiner used in Death, which I, being a Death fan, really appreciate.

It is true that the music on this album is very King Diamond-inspired, but I do feel that I can pick up traces of originality in Albatross' music on this release. Also keep in mind, this is their debut release, and it's super good, so I can't even imagine how great their debut full length release will be.

This is quality metal, and I would recommend it to fans of traditional metal in general, and of King Diamond specifically, but also to fans of thrash metal and power metal. You'll be positively surprised by this release. I was.

Check the album entry for details of purchase.

UMUR "Dinner Is You" is the debut release by Indian heavy metal/thrash metal act Albatross. "Dinner Is You" is a 4 track EP released by Demonstealer Records. The first track called "The Great Plague Of The 21st Century" is an intro while the remaining tracks are more regular compositions.

On "Dinner Is You" Albatross play a heavily King Diamond influenced horror themed type of heavy metal with thrash metal elements. The band´s technical skills are on a high level and the tracks are adventurous and powerful. While lead vocalist Biprorshee Das sings in a high pitched vocal style in the vein of King Diamond a couple of times during the EPs playing time, he is actually a very skilled vocalist who understands how to vary his singing style to keep that department of the music entertaining. He whispers, talks and sings in several pitches. The instrumental side of the music is great too. A combination of traditional heavy metal, power metal and thrash metal is a valid description. A powerful rythm section who changes tempo and rythm style several times during tracks, great melodic guitar solos and those excellent vocals as the icing on the cake.

Lyrically the EP is a concept horror story and again it´s hard not to think of King Diamond. The story is about a guy called The Master who suffers from the Kuru disease. The Kuru disease is an incurable degenerative neurological disorder found in humans, that makes the contaminated person laugh uncontrollably. Alledgedly the disease was transmitted via cannibalism. A pretty bizarre disease that Albatross have been inspired by when writing the lyrics for "Dinner Is You". The Master has a nasty habbit of eating his invited guests (hence the title of the EP) but is brought to justice for his cannibalistic crimes and from what I understand judged to be eaten himself by cannibals living in the jungle. Not before he has killed the judge and served him for lunch to the unknowing people in the court room. Unfortunately for the person ( The prosecutor) who delivers The Master to the cannibals, The Master is in liaison with the cannibals and The Prosecutor ends up being eaten by The Master and the cannibals. A nice little bizarre horror story for you there.

The sound production is fully professional and powerful. The EP was recorded and mixed by guitarist Raj B and he has done a great job. It´s interesting to note that the EP was mastered by no other than King Diamond guitarist Andy LaRocque.

"Dinner Is You" is a great introduction to the world of Albatross. Yes they can more or less be called a King Diamond clone, but when the quality level is as high as it is here, I have very few issues with that. Actually I find "Dinner Is You" quite a bit more entertaining than the last couple of albums by King Diamond and I hope the band will continue with the high energy level and thrashy ideas, which are some of the elements that I find very enjoyable on this EP. I know that the word "clone" might scare some people away, but believe me when I say that this EP is worth your time. While Albatross, sound a lot like King Diamond (more than might be good for them in the long run), there are signs that the band could develop a more unique sound sometime in the future and that´s something that could take them even further IMO. They certainly have all the right tools to succeed. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.