THE SYMPHONY OF SCREAMS — Heed to the Voices (review)

THE SYMPHONY OF SCREAMS — Heed to the Voices album cover Album · 2008 · Alternative Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Heed to the Voices" is the debut full-length studio album by New Zealand, Auckland based alternative rock/metal act The Symphony of Screams. The album was originally independently released in 2008 (only in New Zealand) but saw an international reissue through Triple A Records in 2012.

The music on "Heed to the Voices" is heavy alternative rock. When the band are darkest and most heavy they remind me slightly of Alice in Chains and when they are more rock oriented an act like Stone Temple Pilots (and maybe a little Pearl Jam too) comes to mind. The focus is predominantly on the strong vocals performed by Te Matera Smith, but especially some of the heavier riffs are pretty powerful too. The rhythm section gets the job done, but don´t play much out of the ordinary.

The material are generally well written and quite catchy, which means that the tracks are for the most part instantly memorable. Sometimes that also makes them a bit predictable though, but that´s not a major issue. "Heed to the Voices" features 13 tracks and a full playing time of 63:20 and although the standard is relatively high throughout, I still think the album as a whole could have prospered from a shorter running time.

The sound production is organic and at times features an almost "live in the studio" sound, and that suits the music well. This is basically heavy riff laden rock´n´roll and a more polished sound would probably take away some of the bite that is otherwise one of the album´s strengths. Upon conclusion "Heed to the Voices" is a pretty strong debut album by The Symphony of Screams and it should appeal to fans of some of the above mentioned acts. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.
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