Scrap Metal??

The Summoning

Three long years after the release of their self-titled EP, Glamour Of The Kill are back with their debut album, The Summoning. After such a long wait, I can't help but feel a sense of disappointment. Is it bad? No. Terrible? No. But is it really great? Well, if I'm honest, no it isn't. After a good few listens of this album, it has still failed to deliver the 'wow' factor I was hoping for: something that makes your ears prick up and really take notice – an album that you just want to play again and again.

     It’s clear that Glamour Of The Kill are extremely talented musicians, with the potential to go onto greater success. Their songs are catchy, tuneful and melodic, making them perfect for crowd sing-alongs, as well as a spot of enthusiastic headbanging. Although, after a good few listens, they do start to feel quite repetitive in places, particularly when some songs clock up to almost six minutes long, leaving you feeling slightly bored, with that oh so familiar sense of deja vu. This isn't because the songs are particularly bad; they just lack that extra bit of star quality and uniqueness that other bands within this genre seem to have mastered.

On a negative point, the consistent screams and roars, which appear on a good half of the eleven songs, detract from what are reasonably good melodies and quite frankly, seem extremely pointless. This cringe-worthy screamo sound provides no added value to their music, and I can't help but feel this incessant screaming has been incorporated in an attempt to establish themselves as a Metalcore band – but for me, it just doesn’t work.

     That being said, there are some great songs on this album, including If Only She Knew, Supremacy, and the first single release, Feeling Alive. With a sound that blurs between pop rock and screamo metal, it’s easy to see why Glamour Of The Kill have a broad appeal. The energetic melodies infused with that hard, heavy thwack of the guitars helps give this album drive.

    As a first album, it’s not a bad effort. Ditch the screaming and these guys may be onto something good.

Headbangers and Metal fans might want to check out Glamour Of The Kill at The Cavern Club, Exeter on March 17^th and form their own opinion.


**As seen in The Motion Online**