» Cdreviews  
« back

Ektomorf - Instinct


*
=Staff's pick

Set Me Free
Show Your Fist
Instinct*
Burn
The Holy Noise*
Fuck You All*
United Nations
Land Of Pain
I Break You
You Get What You Give
Until The End
I Will


Genre Thrash Metal/Hardcore
Zoltàn Farkas
Vocals
Tracks 12
Zoltàn Farkas
Guitar
Runningtime 43 Min.
Tamas Schrottner
Guitar
Label Nuclear Blast
Csaba Farkas
Bass
Release 28 March 2005
Jòzsef Szakàcs
Drums
Country Hungary
-
Keyboards
Similar artists Sepultura, Soulfly, Machine Head

Hungarian metal is hardly something that is known to most people, but here we have band full of attitude that has been around for about ten years. Since they were founded back in 1994 they have managed to release five albums and now with their sixth album Instinct they might get some more attention as they are going on tour with Kreator and Dark Tranquillity.

Only by listening to them, I would never have taken Ektomorf for Europeans. By the way they sound, it is an American feeling that is shining through. Melodies are not what come in the first room, but instead it is with heavy riffing and pounding rhythms they break their way forward. As a bulldozer with a compact sound they have much in common with Sepultura , which without a doubt must have been the biggest inspiration for these guys. With the attitude and the rhythms of their heavy shredding, there are tons of Sepultura influences to be found, and Ektomorf do it carefully and it does not feel like they are trying to copy, it is instead as they are doing it with a small variation to the style.

Ektomorf is building their music on driving drum rhythms, and that's where I find comparisons with Slipknot as well as with some of the vocal melodies, for example with the track Burn where the vocals are going with a melody-line that isn't far from Slipknot when they are at their more melodic side. But otherwise the vocal comparisons are close to Max Cavalera, not only by the sound but also with the way he sings or perhaps screams the words. Where Sepultura would add Tribal rhythms, Ektomorf transform those into their own Roman roots with Gypsy melodies, not as much as I would like though.

Instinct is full of anger and gypsy spirit, even if I would have liked more of the latter, and even if there isn't exactly flooding with harmony parts on Instinct, there are some quality guitar-solos and leads. And when they sometimes manage to create a groove worthy of Pantera and a flow, despite the fact that they are doing aggressive and partly chugging music, Ektomorf comes out as a damn good band.

To be mean, it could be said that Ektomorf are replicas of Sepultura, but that would be to make it to easy and not really fair either. You can tell that they have been around for a while, since it can be heard that they know what they are doing, and are doing it good I must say, but what they could use is a more personal style, perhaps more use of the Gypsy influences could do the trick.

See also review of: Aggressor , Retribution , Black Flag

Production
Vocals
Compositions

8

7

6

 
Summary



7 chalices of 10 - Thomas

Related links:

www.ektomorf.com