Detonation - Emission Phase
Osmose Productions - April 30, 2007
By Jordan Knoll
Gothenburg. Yes it is a city in Sweden (the second largest to my understanding) but when it comes to metal it springs to mind such works as
At The Gates’ Slaughter of the Soul,
In Flames’ The Jester Race or
Dark Tranquillity’s Skydancer. Many adore the accessible nature of the ‘soft thrash’ that was pioneered by these forefathers; many more utterly despise it. So when considering the latest album by one of the genre’s few remaining acts, Dutch band
Detonation, the level of enjoyment attained is largely based on which camp you fall into.
In my case I'm probably somewhere in between. While I do appreciate most of the works by melodeath’s key figures I have also found the genre to be more stagnant than my mother’s meat loaf recipe. In other words, outside of slicker production values the genre hasn’t progressed much at all to my ears.
Detonation seem all too aware of this as
Emission Phase adheres to the tried and true formulae; never offering up anything new or unique but at the same time, clinging to the strengths of the style. Tracks like
'Craven Ablaze' or
'Defects of the Isolated Mind' bring heavy, rigid, staccato riffing backed with lead flourishes that give the tracks their memorable and melodic appeal. Thus, credit must be given to dual riff men Koen Romeijn and Mike Ferguson for their melodic sensibility as Emission Phase rarely falters here. In fact the entire CD seems to embody such middle-of-the-road adjectives as ‘solid’, ‘consistent’ or ‘satisfactory’. Because of this, however, the album's prime asset is also its greatest detriment. That is, by failing to progress, or build upon the Gothenburg foundations
Detonation fall short of creating a true milestone release. This is unfortunate for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because
Detonation clearly has the chops to pull it off and, secondly (and most importantly) because melodeath is in need of a hero to save it from descending into musical obscurity. Could
Detonation be that band? Only time will tell, but, as it stands,
Emission Phase is not the genre rebirth that is so desperately needed.
Official Detonation Website
Official Osmose Productions Website
