Man of the Hour - Destroy the Machines of Slaughter
No Face Records - 2007
By Adam McAuley
The slightly strange approach of this band makes them somewhat difficult to classify. One might be inclined to say they are of a traditional or thrash though they are classified as a doom metal band on metal archives, for example. Regardless, a rather generic approach prevents them from obtaining any peculiarly high heights.
One can see shifting, shaping musical vistas created that perhaps could be promising, but instead remain unappealing overall. A sort of charismatic approach that's shown here is quite similar to that of
Manowar. Instead of compellingly putting forward anthems that ooze a rather catchy nature, though, we here have attempts to go out on a limb and be jagged and abrasive to further their musical muscles and this leads them to a rather empty venture instead of success. Where
Manowar would glorify their means towards a seamless, pristine sound,
Man of the Hour instead attempt to flex their musical muscles and come across rather uninteresting in the process. As they tread paths that cannot be seen as innovative in any way it's difficult to see how
Man of the Hour will find their feet amongst the metal landscapes effectively. No particular tracks stand out here and one may see themselves giving up on the material quite quickly. The vocalist tends to sing at annoying registers to top things off and this pales them in comparison to
Manowar's Eric Adams who's able to command his band quite prominently. Chugging, repetitive riffing and uneventful drumming rounds out the remainder of the musical package.
Overall, Man of the Hour offer nothing to catch your attention especially amongst the often innovative metal trajectory of today and are perhaps better to simply pass over.
Official Man of the Hour Website
Official No Face Records Website
