ALBUM REVIEW: AXMINISTER - CRUCIBLE OF SIN EP
If you like your metal old school then the new Canadian ‘Axminister’ will be right up your street. Playing thrash music with elements of ‘Iron Maiden’ NWOBM thrown in for measure, the Ontario based group describe themselves as “the heroes of metal that the world needs”. Unfortunately, this feels like a massive overstatement. Technically proficient and packed full of riffs, ‘Crucible of Sin’ is a worthy homage to the bands of yesteryear, however there is nothing particularly new na exciting to offer.
Tracks like ‘The Trials of Hercules’ and ‘Sanctus Equitus Mortis’ are decent enough songs to switch off to, however we can’t help but feel that this is a band treading water in a genre that has long since moved on. The frequent homages to bands such as ‘Slayer’, ‘Megadeth’ and ‘Iron Maiden’ are great, but when you compare them against new bands like ‘Defiatory’ and ‘Havok’, you begin to realise that ‘Axminister’ haven’t brough anything new to the table. Likewise, the cringe lyrics of opening track ‘Prey’ feel slightly less tongue in cheek and more awkward and embarrassing with lines including “I eat you out, you suck me dry” and referencing “My meaty rod”. ‘Crucible of Sin’, definitely isn’t a bad record, but when compared against recent competition, it isn’t particularly great either.
5/10
Personal Highlight: Track 2, ‘Salvation’ amplifies the speed and aggression in a song that seems like straight up ‘Megadeth’ worship from the Mustaine style vocals all the way to the sweeping guitar solos. The screamed backing vocals, give ‘Salvation’ the extra bite that the rest of the EP lacks.
