After an EP last year, Arsis returns with their second full-length release. Their 2004 debut A Celebration Of Guilt received rave reviews, and this CD has been much anticipated. The melodic death metal duo's sound has evolved a bit with this release.
United In Regret is a very technical album with some really good guitar work and complex, dense arrangements. The songs are heavy and brutal, but still have melody, which of course is what you'd expect from a melodic death metal band. The vocals are death metal style growls, but are very understandable. They do a nice job of varying pitches and intensity.
One thing that is lacking on this CD is hooks. There are some really clever riffs and some blistering solos and interesting melodies, but there aren't enough hooks to make the songs memorable. Arsis are technically and musically proficient, but a few more hooks would make a very good album into a great album.
