UMUR
"There Is Something Wrong" is the second full-length studio album by US, Illinois based thrash metal act Aftermath. The album was released through Zoid Entertainment in May 2019. Aftermath formed in 1985 and released no less than four demos in the years 1986-1990 before forming their own label Zoid Recordings for the release of "Eyes Of Tomorrow" in 1994. As Aftermath disbanded with no further releases under their belt (other than a 1996 promo tape) it appeared that "Eyes Of Tomorrow (1994)" would be their sole album release. They existed under the Mother God Moviestar monicker from 1996-1999, but weren´t heard of again until 2014 when Aftermath was ressurrected.
25 years between your debut and your sophomore album releases is a long time for any band, but for an artist like Aftermath, who were only mildly successful in their initial run and for the most part should probably be considered a footnote in 1980s/1990s thrash metal history, 25 years is a very long time. Since there is probably zero economic incentive to record and release "There Is Something Wrong", it´s safe to assume/conclude that this release was purely created for the love of the music, and that´s of course always worthy of praise.
That assumption is also audible when listening to "There Is Something Wrong", which is anything but a commercially oriented release. It´s politically charged/conspiracy theory themed thrash metal featuring industrial elements and samples, and some pretty strong hardcore/crossover leanings too. It´s relatively progressive in nature, but probably not progressive in the way most people understand the term. The musicianship is strong and lead vocalist Charlie Tsiolis has expanded his repetoire in the 25 years since "Eyes Of Tomorrow (1994)". He performs both raw thrash/hardcore vocals and spoken sections. The riffs are thrashy, chugging (many breaks), or hardcore punk oriented, and the drums often utilize double bass playing. I was actually a bit surprised to learn that a human drummer recorded the drums on "There Is Something Wrong", because honestly the drums sound a little lifeless and programmed.
"There Is Something Wrong" features one of those digital sounding productions, which could have prospered from a few organic analogue strokes. The drums are produced in a way that only enhances my assumption that they are programmed (even though Ray Schmidt is credited for playing the drums).
Although "There Is Something Wrong" is a very different sounding release to "Eyes Of Tomorrow (1994)" and the two albums could easily have been released by two different artists, the adventurous songwriting approach and the progressive song structures are something the two albums have in common. "There Is Something Wrong" is upon conclusion an album I find interesting more than I find it great (which is also how I feel about "Eyes Of Tomorrow (1994)"). I applaud the boldness of Aftermath and the experimental nature of their music, but the tracks just don´t grap me and there is a lack of memorable moments to elevate the album from interesting to a great listening experience. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.
