ALBATROSS — Dinner Is You (review)

EP · 2010 · Heavy Metal

4/5 · 2010-10-08
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.

more than 2 years ago
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rdore2000 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Hey J-Man. Riju, the bassist of Albatross here. Right you are...while King Diamond is my favourite band, Raj's has been greatly inspired by Death. And isn't it ironic that Andy played in both bands ;)?