Heavy Metal New Blood EP Review : Without Waves - Scab Platter

Without Waves - Scab Platter
Rating: 6/10

1. Avici
2. Tradition of Fear
3. The Way to Crash & Burn
4. [404]
5. Scab Platter
6. [pieta]
7. Dhyana
8. Sativa Sunrise

With Scab Platter Without Waves have managed to produce an album that is a fusion of different types of metal, with elements reminiscent of Meshuggah, Tool, Dillinger Escape Plan and Opeth. With combinations of everything from nu metal sounds to a more prog style this album could easily go from something for everyone to nothing for anyone.

Instrumentally the band is good, the bass is a lot more prominent in Scab Platter than in a lot of modern releases and really interacts well with the drum at times. Instrumental sections such as "[404]" illustrate this well

The vocals are a mixture or growling and clean vocals and in a much more old metal style than the music would suggest. Scab Platter definitely leans towards the frenzied side of metal with a fast pace and a lot happening at once. Two tracks on the first half of the album such as "Tradition of Fear" and "The Way to Crash & Burn" show this well.


The album starts to slow down then with more clean vocals, very smoky clean vocals, showing up and a softer, simpler melody supporting it in "Dhyana". Then closing with a instrumental track "Sativa Sunrise" which while it doesn't suffer for the lack of vocals and is technically excellent feels a little like it's in the wrong place in the album and doesn't fit well as the closer

Overall I did like the album, the musician ship is brilliant and I like that rather than choosing one genre the band has fused genres together and tried to create a new and original sound rather than churning out the same type of metalcore albums as everyone else.

One criticism would be perhaps this fusion has gone a step to far in that there is nothing to unify the album, or give one distinct sound to the band and album. Personally I think it needs to be stripped back slightly in order to showcase the skills and talents that are clearly there.

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