A brutal gem
Germany's Maroon have slowly started to make a name of themselves since the release of their credible but 'heard it all before' album 'When Worlds Collide'. They've toured with SYL, Arch Enemy and Black Dahila Murder and even Korn in their own country. As I mentioned in their review of 'When Worlds Collide', "They're just another brutal band to throw on to the brutal pile, there's little on this brutal CD that sets them apart from everyone else. Maybe if the scene they were aiming for were in its infancy they'd stand out and perhaps reap greater success. But trying to squeeze into an already bloated genre is doing themselves no favours." So what’s changed for Maroon in the two years since their last album? According to vocalist Andre Moraweck one of their goals was not to repeat themselves and include more diverse influences. I'm not sure which planet Andre is on but how can a brutal death metal band NOT repeat themselves? As soon as the opening distorted chords of '(Reach) The Sun' hit the speakers the memories of their last album come flooding back.
'The Cold Heart Of The Sun' sounds like it's predecessor, which, in turn, sounded like Duskfall, Inflames, Dark Tranquillity and so on. But wait, it's not as black and white as that. In many respects Maroon are, as mentioned before, another brutal metal band for the genre, and 'The Cold Heart Of The Sun' isn't going to score many points in originality or reaffirming the 'not going to repeat themselves' argument. But what this album does have going for it is the simple fact that it's very good. 'The Cold Heart Of The Sun' is well written, excellently performed, well structured and sounds the dogs bollocks.
The production is less knock off Daniel Bergstrand and more straight death metal, which helps it stand further away from the In Flames of this world. What impresses the most on this disc is the variety in ideas. The changes in rhythm, riff progression, pace all add to a more interesting listen than many bands that adopt the 'one song written ten times' technique. They've steered clear of the metalcore/soilwork trap of shouted verse and pop chorus, yet they've not sacrificed melody within their music. Songs such as 'Fear The Most Them Who Protect' and 'Only The Sleeper Left The World' are great examples of this.
Any fan of heavy music should pick this album up. There are some great moments of sheer heaviness and even some foot tapping sections (As Truth Becomes Vain). Those who are only listening to any of the aforementioned bands are going to miss out on this gem. Although it doesn't stray too far from death metal it incorporates all the elements that makes death metal a very appealing scene. It's this creative use of the band's own genre that makes 'The Cold Heart Of The Sun' a triumph and superior release. Perhaps this is what Andre was talking about when he said they didn't want to repeat themselves.