Known as the “Home of Metal”, Birmingham has produced its fair share of successful metal bands since the likes of Black Sabbath. Now though, it is up to Eradikator to represent the birthplace of metal with their fast and intense thrash. Their album, produced by Russ Russell, is called Edge of Humanity and provides a 45 minute onslaught of big guitar melodies and the ferocity of a good thrash metal album.
‘Mesmerised’ and ‘Man Behind The Mask’ are the opening tracks and immediately indicates an influence from classic bands with a particular echo of Metallica. They’re not a rip off of the band though. They just use the influences of their favourite 80’s bands and build on them, and it really works. ‘The Great Deception’, for example, still carries that classic sound but brings the more aggressive nature of modern music and throwing in some heavy rhythmic breakdowns as well just to give the song more diversity. And what’s great is that this creative thinking is present in patches throughout the whole album.
The mix of the album is perfect as well. The drums aren’t overwhelming and leave space for the bass to really make its mark. The performances from all the band members is strong and you can tell that they are a tight-knit band who know how to communicate musically. The guitar solos themselves are great and the two guitarists work very well together. They provide a real impact with their angry approach while also producing definitive and memorable melodies. Just take a listen to ‘Kairos Passing’ and you will understand exactly what you mean. It’s a bold move to end the album with an instrumental, like the heavyweights of metal did, but it’s executed exceptionally well and really gives the album the sending off it deserves.
It’s not the perfect album but it does a good job at trying to be one. We like that there is so much energy but at points it’s almost like we’d like a bit more variety. A rest, almost. Nevertheless, this album is fantastic. It’s like listening to the so-called ‘Golden Age’ of metal but with heavy doses of the modern scene; and it just works so well. Eradikator have found the right balance of demonstrating their influences while also building on them and showing off their own ideas. Eradikator are a refreshing addition to the genre and we can’t wait for more.
