Arusha Accord, The – Nightmares Of The Ocean EP
Filed under: Single Reviews by ChrisNo Comments »
A hyperactive little beast, this one. A 5 track EP that never really lets up, apart from the 30 second breather in the form of an instrumental number stuck bang in the middle of the whole thing.
Striking comparisons, for me atleast, with American metallers Everytime I Die is no bad thing, and the same intense musicianship and rough vocals are present. If anything though, The Arusha Accord have more in the way of melody and power than those guys, and it definitely benefits the sound. Immediately noticeable is the frantic (but never OTT) and drumming, pinning down the tracks to a solid backbone allowing the other band members to get a bit crazy with their sound. The guitars in particular working wonders in various hectic ways, bouncing all over the tracks and never really falling into a set riff. Even the bass veers from the beaten track every once in a while.
Having two vocalists with such similar ranges sounds like a bad idea in theory, but rarely do they clash or detract from the sound they’re going for – presumably ballsy metal with a hint of madness thrown in for good measure. Often it seems both are screaming along but the vocals on the slower, more melodic sections are handled equally well.
If anything, the only bad point I can find is the lack of a real hook or solid identity…but that will surely come with a full release and a longer exposure to their own sound. The songs available here also seem to fall into a similar pattern each time, but there is really only so much variety to be expecting from what is essentially a 4 track EP.
Rating: 
For Fans Of: Everytime I Die, 36 Crazyfists, Engel and most other metal…
Standout Track: Death Of Thieves.
