Firstborne (ST)
Turn this to 6 of 11
Released: 2020
Genre: Metal, Hard Rock
Sounds Like: Badlands, Lynch Mob, Tesla
Drummer and founder of Lamb of God joins forces with bassist James LoMenzo of (former White Lion, Black Label Society, and Lynch Mob fame) to pull together an EP that messages change and hope during the dark shadows we currently face. They have pulled in a premier vocalist, Girish Pradham, from India making a big impression on critics around the world. The final product sounds like a well produced 90s hair metal album. The 16 minute self-titled project displays splashes of impressive percussion and vibrant fretwork, but overall feels very rushed and slapped together. The second track "The Anthem" painfully drills “its got to stop right now” into your brain with typical hard rock anthemic melodies. Girish does have pipes, but it does not resonate well under theses short simplistic, “here is our hook” and exit formula.
Track Listing
1. Primordial (3:49)
2. The Anthem (3:22)
3. Roll The Dice (2:48)
4. Apocalypse (2:50)
5. Hunter Hunted (3:04)
Standout Track
The closer "Hunter Hunted" is the heaviest of the lot, featuring some terrific production and headphone riff delight. We appreciate the grinding and swirling fretwork melodies along with Girish’s more caustic vocal attempt. The track shines with a early 90s shrill and warmth.
Adult Beverage Pairing
Welcome this spicy, sweet and strong Belgian ale at 9.0% ABV.Devil’s Advocatebrewed by Church Street Brewing Co. may be a nice pick me up to blend with Firstborne.
ROTATION RECAP:
Captivation and Variety
5.6 out of 11
Weight of the Heavy
6.8 out of 11
Fretwork Prowess
7.2 out of 11
Bass Undercurrent
5.2 out of 11
Originality
5.6 out of 11
Overall Album Flow
6.1 out of 11
Contrast
5.7 out of 11
Album Cover Aesthetics
7.0 out of 11
Production Value
7.2out of 11
Final Thoughts:
Albums with a political or state of affairs agenda tend not to make it far up our list. The bottom line is that it is very difficult to make an album in this vein that does not sound contrived or forced. This EP certainly feels like it was put together to address both racial tensions and the pandemic. While we credit Firstborne with the initiative and drive to pool forces together, we would love to hear a bit more originality. Listening to this makes us want to dig through our library of 90s metal.
Band Members:
Girish Pradhan - Vocals
Myrone - Guitar
James Lomenzo - Bass
Chris Adler - Drums
Follow Firstborne: Bandcamp / Facebook
