Shift - Watch It Burn
Shift are back with a new EP "Watch It Burn", those of you who liked their debut release "Faceless" maybe surprised that they've taken a step back from their alternative metal/rock sound, and now seem to be far more progressive.
The opening two tracks have a very metallic edge, but are two completely listening experiences. 'Stand Against' is reminiscent of a modern power metal song, containing great vocals and clever composition, in my mind a much stronger track than 'Into The Whites Of Your Eyes' which follows.
While these Aussie boys demonstrate that they're fans of metal, you can hear in their music that they also find inspiration from other types of music, which gives this release a great sense of diversity. There is a fantastic blend of different metal and rock styles, which make 'Watch It Burn' an interesting listen, but it's not so jumpy that it loses the listener.
The stand-out track for me is 'Water On The Sun'; the timings are all a bit odd, some piano work has been chucked in, and the vocals are super expressive; it all works perfectly together.
The record also contains an impressive cover version of Anthrax's 'In My World', which is the perfect closing track. The talent Shift possess oozes out of every track, there is heaps of it packed into every song and you can hear they're having fun with every note. A perfect release from the Aussie metalheads.