Fear My Thoughts – Hell Sweet Hell
Lifeforce Records – LFR 054-2 – July 26th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
Seems like Germany has been quite fond of me recently, what with the latest releases from
Heaven Shall Burn,
Caliban, and now
Fear My Thoughts strewn atop my desk. Luckily, for me,
Hell Sweet Hell upstages its brethren by providing rousing, Scandinavian-ridden metal upon a simple pressing of the play button and, perhaps surprisingly, these guys put out four full-lengths before this one saw the light of day.
Once “Windows for the Dead” kicks in, the influence is audibly noticeable:
At the Gates.
Fear My Thoughts, as the saying goes, do wear their influences on their sleeves, which is acceptable when the music is as adept as this. The ushering in of “In the Hourglass,” “Ghosts of Time,” and “The Masters Call” bring midlevel
Soilwork to mind, and the leads (1:45 to 2:05; 3:15 to 4:00) in “My Delight” could be mistaken for
Opeth. In addition, I can see why
Hell Sweet Hell – and the five-piece as a unit – has been pegged as melodeath, after giving “Sweetest Hell” and “Dying Eyes” in-depth listens. Even so, others have categorized
Fear My Thoughts as metalcore-toters, and those two subgenres are becoming too synonymous for comfort (
The Black Dahlia Murder spring to mind instantaneously). And, there’s some
In Flames dancing about on this record. Though the songwriting is indebted to said Scandinavian forefathers, the musicianship is pretty spot-on, and the package is gratifying for those who don’t mind a frequent, purposeful homage.
It’s true that these Germans aren’t the most inventive kids on the block, but I can still give them an overt recommendation based on aforesaid characteristics.
Fear My Thoughts are no strangers to the scene (it shows), and here’s to them moving up from here.
* raises beer glass *
* spills *
Shit.
8/10
Official Fear My Thoughts Website
Official Lifeforce Records Website
