FLOODGATE — Penalty (review)

FLOODGATE — Penalty album cover Album · 1996 · Alternative Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
UMUR
"Penalty" is the debut full-length studio album by US groove/alternative metal act Floodgate. The album was released through Roadrunner Records in 1996. The lineup features among others Exhorder/Trouble frontman Kyle Thomas on vocals and guitars. Roadrunner Records worked hard in those years to sign and promote groove/alternative metal, after they sacked most of their death metal acts in 1993 - 1995. "Penalty" turned out to be the only album released by Floodgate, so it probably wasn´t as commercially successful as the label had expected it would be.

...those coming to "Penalty" expecting it to sound anything like the powerful and aggressive thrash of Exhorder will come away very disappointed though. The music on "Penalty" is a groove based, accessible and alternative type of metal with a very time typical sound and style. Kyle Thomas is a very skilled singer with a strong voice and it´s interesting to hear him sing in a more "normal" voice compared to his absolutely caustic raw type vocal delivery on the Exhorder albums. The musicianship on the album is generally strong although the instrumental part of the music isn´t that challenging. The album is well produced.

The songwriting is what drags my rating down a bit. There are a couple of memorable tracks on the a 11 track, 55:06 minutes long album, but there are way too many "filler" tracks to accompany those few strong tracks. Also "Penalty" sounds very dated. This is a music style that was very popular in the mid-nineties, but died out before the turn of the millenium. So it´s a very time typical release that probably only those who enjoyed that style of music in those days are going to find enjoyment in. Of course I might be wrong in such a harsh statement and as with everything else it´s probably an aquired taste. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.
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