Spineshank - Anger Denial Acceptance

Published June 11 2012

*=Staff's pick	After The End Nothing Left For Me Anger Denial Acceptance I Want You To Know Murder Suicide The Endless Disconnect I Am Damage* Ploratio Morbus Everything Everyone Everywhere Ends The Reckoning God Complex (Anger) Motive Method Opportunity (Denial) Exit Wound (Acceptance)*

Genre	Alternative/Industrial Metal	Johnny Santos	Vocals
Tracks	13	Mike Sarkisyan	Guitar
Running time	45 Min.	-	Guitar
Label	Century Media	Rob Garcia	Bass
Release	18 June 2012	Tommy Decker	Drums
Country	USA	-	Keyboard
Producer	Mike Sarkisyan/Tommy Decker
Similar artists	Killswitch Engage

With a reactivated original lineup, Spineshank is back with their fourth full length studio album, almost nine years past the release of their latest effort, Self-Destructive Pattern. Back in 2004, musical differences was the official statement for the band's split with vocalist Johnny Santos and we all know what that means.

The album opens with After The End; a track with aggressive and raging verses and clean sung choruses. Heavy, angry and with full throttle. Second track, Nothing Left For Me, with its cool guitarplay, is a softer copy of the opener, while the title track is similar to the first track mentioned.

It feels a bit like the songs are on repeat with all those aggressive sung verses and clean choruses, so the semi-ballad, I Want You To Know, works as a well deserved breather. A little too early for the need of a breather, I must say. With Murder Suicide, we're back to their patented arrangement again and I feel that this album needs a fresh re-start. The Endless Disconnect, with its catchiness and prominent bassplay breaks the pattern, but doesn't reach all the way.

I Am Damage is furious and neckbreaking and finally we get one song without harmony vocals, except from a couple of lines in the bridge. Ploratio Murbus is just a two minute instrumental intermission, which leaves no mark. For a judgement of Everything Everyone Everywhere Ends and The Reckoning, read the words above who describe most songs.

The concluding three part suite Anger Denial Acceptance starts with frantic God Complex, continues with an interlude and ends with epic semi-ballad Exit Wound, who is the most interesting song on the entire album. It's totally different from all other tracks and a good piece of work.

It's sometimes heavy and a bit doomy, often fast and aggressive, as well as softer and pretty catchy from time to time. Even though there are a pair of decent and actually a pair of good tracks on this release, most songs however don't stick at all. I've listened to the album at least a dozen times and the more I listen to it, the more weary I get and this feels like a reunion I can live without.

Performance	Originality	Production	Vocals	Songwriting
5	2	5	5	3

Summary
3 chalices of 10 - Tobbe