Seregon - The Movement
I'll admit it: I'm a monstrous whore for Seregon. They're easily one of the absolute best unsigned thrash bands, if not THE best band in general, doing the rounds in the United Kingdom right now and they've done a mighty fine job lasting so many years in a scene that fluctuates almost constantly. Their stomping, almost anthemic brand of groovy death-thrash has been their mightiest weapon that's seen them supporting countless acts and landing them spots on numerous high-end festivals over the years, and while thrash is nowhere near as big here as it was a mere five or six years ago, they're certainly not going to bite the dust anytime soon. After 2007's impressive "Kingdom of the Blind" EP, 2008's "A Future Expired" and 2009's utterly crushing "Disposable Suffering", Seregon have come back in style with their newest release... "The Movement".
Fans of the band will instantly recognise the music here as 'Seregon brand'. They're a rare example of a band that's found a sound that works so well for them that they've never really needed to change it - kind of like ACDC, only Seregon's songs don't all sound identical... I'll get some hate for that! But seriously, if you listen to their catalogue the only major differences you'll find between releases are the production - until you get to "The Movement". Don't jump the gun, they've not changed so drastically, but the overall tone of the album is most certainly done with emphasis on the 'thrash' aspect of their sound. After a rather tasty intro track, we're treated to the assault of 'Sycophant' which echoes (newcomers will be lost to that joke) the spirit of Testament rather well, and the noticable difference in production supports the thrashier Seregon sound by generally being a bit more... how would you put it, 'high end'? 'Trebly'? Whatever. It does nothing to derive from songs like 'Welcome to Rapture' or the stomping title track in any way, as they're all written and performed with that meticulous precision that I for one have come to expect from the band. Despite all of these subtle more-emphasis-on-the-thrash undertones, this is still undeniably Seregon through and through with some fantastic changeovers and even a rather beautiful-yet-eerie acoustic interlude in the form of 'Day of the River', the likes of which we haven't really seen since 'Vain Affinity' from their debut.
Frontman James Moore should be given a medal for his services to UK thrash over the years, followed swiftly by a knighthood for his performances with Seregon. "The Movement" boasts his absolute best work by far - he's always sounded fantastic, but it almost comes across as if these songs were pretty much written with him fully in mind sometimes as he barks his way through 'The Infestation Fixation' and 'Hallowed Are the Ori' with enough energy to punch an elephant into bloody chunks. This said, he may sound scary on record but he's a big lovable tool in person. One track that deserves mention above all others though is the colossal 'Policed Brutality'. In fact, scratch that - the word 'colossal' doesn't come close. 'Anthemic'? Yeah, but that still isn't close enough. It's a near-six minute, mostly mid-tempo stomper with some fantastic atmosphere, plenty of well-placed riff and tempo changes, trademark briliance from James and it's just... it's 'that one song' on the album. With a lot of albums, there's 'that one song' that for some insane reason, is just amazing. In this instance, I firmly believe that it's the definitive Seregon track as it carefully showcases just about everything that the band does best. EVERYONE is at peak form here, and it almost makes the rest of the album looks tame by comparison... but maybe I'm getting carried away. But yeah, you can tell that I really, REALLY love that track.
It's difficult to pinpoint an accurate description of Seregon's overall sound without the vague 'groovy death-thrash' tag. The best way to decide for yourself is to simply check the band out for yourself - especially since that way, you have no excuse on missing out. And passing this up would really be missing the fuck out. There may be some nepotism here, but I don't care in the slightest - Seregon's "The Movement" is the best you're going to get from 2013. The absolute best. No upcoming metal releases will be able to touch this album (EP? Mini album?) because simply put, it's fan-fucking-tastic.
Fans of the band will instantly recognise the music here as 'Seregon brand'. They're a rare example of a band that's found a sound that works so well for them that they've never really needed to change it - kind of like ACDC, only Seregon's songs don't all sound identical... I'll get some hate for that! But seriously, if you listen to their catalogue the only major differences you'll find between releases are the production - until you get to "The Movement". Don't jump the gun, they've not changed so drastically, but the overall tone of the album is most certainly done with emphasis on the 'thrash' aspect of their sound. After a rather tasty intro track, we're treated to the assault of 'Sycophant' which echoes (newcomers will be lost to that joke) the spirit of Testament rather well, and the noticable difference in production supports the thrashier Seregon sound by generally being a bit more... how would you put it, 'high end'? 'Trebly'? Whatever. It does nothing to derive from songs like 'Welcome to Rapture' or the stomping title track in any way, as they're all written and performed with that meticulous precision that I for one have come to expect from the band. Despite all of these subtle more-emphasis-on-the-thrash undertones, this is still undeniably Seregon through and through with some fantastic changeovers and even a rather beautiful-yet-eerie acoustic interlude in the form of 'Day of the River', the likes of which we haven't really seen since 'Vain Affinity' from their debut.
Frontman James Moore should be given a medal for his services to UK thrash over the years, followed swiftly by a knighthood for his performances with Seregon. "The Movement" boasts his absolute best work by far - he's always sounded fantastic, but it almost comes across as if these songs were pretty much written with him fully in mind sometimes as he barks his way through 'The Infestation Fixation' and 'Hallowed Are the Ori' with enough energy to punch an elephant into bloody chunks. This said, he may sound scary on record but he's a big lovable tool in person. One track that deserves mention above all others though is the colossal 'Policed Brutality'. In fact, scratch that - the word 'colossal' doesn't come close. 'Anthemic'? Yeah, but that still isn't close enough. It's a near-six minute, mostly mid-tempo stomper with some fantastic atmosphere, plenty of well-placed riff and tempo changes, trademark briliance from James and it's just... it's 'that one song' on the album. With a lot of albums, there's 'that one song' that for some insane reason, is just amazing. In this instance, I firmly believe that it's the definitive Seregon track as it carefully showcases just about everything that the band does best. EVERYONE is at peak form here, and it almost makes the rest of the album looks tame by comparison... but maybe I'm getting carried away. But yeah, you can tell that I really, REALLY love that track.
It's difficult to pinpoint an accurate description of Seregon's overall sound without the vague 'groovy death-thrash' tag. The best way to decide for yourself is to simply check the band out for yourself - especially since that way, you have no excuse on missing out. And passing this up would really be missing the fuck out. There may be some nepotism here, but I don't care in the slightest - Seregon's "The Movement" is the best you're going to get from 2013. The absolute best. No upcoming metal releases will be able to touch this album (EP? Mini album?) because simply put, it's fan-fucking-tastic.
Self released
Reviewer: Dave Ingram Jr.
Mar 14, 2013
Mar 14, 2013
Next review:
Metal Goes Mental - The Zanzibar 08.03.13
Share this: