There is something special about bands that go against the grain and laugh in the face of convention. From the likes of Mr Bungle to modern day greats like Between The Buried & Me, some bands have gained huge acclaim for experimentation, from marrying a weird hybrid of styles and genres together to create something new, or perhaps for a groundbreaking mentality upon the tried and tested. Slovakians Tristana are keen to place themselves in this category; their own bio pointing towards images of the mysterious and revolutionary, even describing themselves as some love child of Sepultura and Bon Jovi; lofty claims that their music does nothing to back up.
On latest album Virtual Crime (Bakerteam Records), the conundrum is a tricky one. Initially it is hard to categorise as it does branch into different directions and sounds; but at its core, it simply feels generic. Founded on melodic death metal with power metal tendencies towards the anthemic with added touches of gothic tinged keys, nods to prog and even the occasional dubstep like electronica passage, rather than weaved into the mix all these extra elements they feel bolted on, made to stick out and grab attention, rather than bolster and support the rest of the cast.
Taking away these additional elements entirely and you’re left with an all too familiar branch of melodic death metal at its thinnest with patterns that are all too predictable, and an album that’s all too comfortable in tone and its production doesn’t give it any meat. Vocally it veers from cookie cutter harsh growls to a big but ultimately forgettable wail which could have been taken from a plethora of power metal hordes. The only vocal highlight is on ‘Jannie’s Dying’ where Peter Wilson shares duties with an unaccredited female vocalist who gives a stronger performance than their full-time frontman.
It’s very easy to offer bold claims that you are a forward thinking act but it is your music that needs to back it up, and Virtual Crime is a spectacular failure in this sense. An uninspiring, formulaic canvas with some cheap, brighter colours on top.
4.0/10
CHRIS TIPPELL