| You are here: | About>Entertainment>Heavy Metal> Heavy Metal Reviews> CD Reviews> CD Review Archive By Artist> C> Combat Ruination Review |
![]() | Heavy Metal |
![]() Cover of Combat's 2007 Album, Ruination Courtesy of Combat Related Guide PicksCombat RuinationFrom Eric Hanson Guide Rating - ![]() The Bottom LineFeeling a little paranoid about the way society is heading? So are these guys and theyre here to sing about the possible result of all of your fears. Pros
Cons
Description
Guide Review - Combat RuinationWhen I first put Combats Ruination in for a spin, I was a little surprised. Sure, the records sound, though finely recorded, has the rough edge of punk rock that reminds me of Municipal Wastes interpretation of thrash, but right from the start Ruination is discordant and jarring in a way that thrash generally, well, isnt. However, I quickly found that surviving the records dissonant assault turns out to be well worth the effort, as prolonged exposure to Ruination (say two or three listens) brings a profound sense of metal satisfaction.
Lyrically, Combat takes the lyrical themes of apocalyptic violence so favored by many early thrash bands (think Metallicas Disposable Heroes) and pushes them to their logical extremes, infecting every song with dark images of modern war, technological destruction and evolutionary competition as Mad-Max-style sci-fi themes that convey the dominant message: that were all doomed to be betrayed by our computers, crushed by our warmongering governments and driven to extinction by our amoral science. The music powering these themes dovetails nicely with the message of chaos and destruction: raw, grinding and yes, occasionally even dissonant, it makes for the perfect accompaniment to the bleak picture painted in the words. There are some issues the single guitar attack with overdubbed solos take something away from the musics power and this is not an album that gives the listener a lot to explore beyond the first few listens but overall a good release and worth some regular rotation in your collection. Related Guide Picks |
|
All Topics | Email Article | | | ![]() |
| Advertising Info | News & Events | Work at About | SiteMap | Reprints | Help | Our Story | Be a Guide |
| User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | ©2008 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved. |




