WATCHTOWER — Energetic Disassembly (review)

WATCHTOWER — Energetic Disassembly album cover Album · 1985 · Technical Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
UMUR
"Energetic Disassembly" is the debut full-length studio album by technical/progressive metal act Watchtower. The album was originally released on vinyl (limited to around 3,000 copies) and cassette tape (limited to around 1,500 copies) through Zombo Records in November 1985. "Energetic Disassembly" has seen a couple of re-releases since. the first CD version was released through Institute of Art Records in 1993 (featuring a tracklist where the order of the tracks is different from the original version).

The music on the album is technical/progressive metal strongly influenced by jazz/fusion music. Especially the rhythm section of bassist Doug Keyser and drummer Rick Colaluca play complex fusion styled notes and rhythms. I don´t recall hearing any other metal act fusing metal with fusion to this extent as early as 1985. In that respect we´re dealing with a unique and groundbreaking release. I guess I would mention Rush as an influence but Watchtower is much more metal oriented. In fact "Energetic Disassembly" is a pretty raw and aggressive progressive metal album with high pitched screaming vocals, sharp and aggressive thrashy riffing, and loads of tempo- and time signature changes. The music on the album is far more aggressive (and progressive) than the music of contemporaries like Fates Warning, Crimson Glory, and Queensrÿche.

The tracks are generally very energetic and played with outstanding skill. We´re exposed to "out of this world" level musicianship. Even though especially the guitar occasionally plays some more "regular" sounding thrashy heavy metal riffs, "Energetic Disassembly" overall comes off as quite futuristic sounding. In other words it´s an album that has generally aged well. That´s despite a sound production that firmly places the album in the eighties. With music this powerful and energetic a sligthly flawed sound production is a minor issue though. A 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is fully deserved.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

A Sonication Technical Death Metal
OBSCURA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Suns of Perdition - Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion Black Metal
PANZERFAUST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

DAWN OF REVENGE - Sanctuary [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Farewell [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Curtain of Death - [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Vengeance [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - I Need You [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed