Album Review: "Soul Recall" by Rude

Soul Recall by Rude

Welcome to Berkeley, Calif. Where the colleges are liberal and the weather is fantastic, for folks who do not share my weather disposition.

This is not the place to find brutal death metal.

Of course it would probably be fair to say that this probably wasn't the place for Metallica, Slayer, Exodus, and more, but it's the genesis of some very heavy and very important music.

Today, the record in question is the debut album from Rude. A death metal quartet from this little slice of paradise on the West Coast.

Debut albums are always an interesting thing. The aforementioned Metallica, could you picture them 20 years after Kill'Em All releasing St. Anger or what about Lulu? I won't even get into Pink Floyd here. So let's stop talking about the bands that have come before and enjoy the coming out party that is Rude.

Bay  Area Thrashers Rude

This record is death metal through and through. Tampa Bay style death metal, but with some interesting twists.

This album is full of mid-tempo rocking tunes. Instead of just double bassing (and snaring) at a million miles an hour, there's some swagger in the lumber.

The vocals are very much styled after Obituary. There's anguish there. Were I to choose the best death metal band to pattern oneself after, it would probably be the band that brought us Cause of Death.

Rude's vocals aren't just cookie cutter cookie monster (wow that's a metal image isn't it?). Too many bands scream without emoting. Death metal is about anger and pain. Well, anger's easy to convey, pain, not as much.

Back to the drums, there are some very good drum fills. The drummer is clearly driving the train on this album. All the changes come from the kit. I suppose he's sitting on a drum throne instead of a drum stool.

The lead guitar is all over the record, as it should be. The solos all have a similar structure. They feel like the Loc-Nar's case opening up and letting all the metal come tearing out.

All in all this album is a great first effort. There is some extraordinary potential in with this group. The album has rudimentary dynamics, but much of it has similar feels. In time, their writing will grow.

A great debut and worthy album to start off what should be a promising career for Rude.

Release: 5/20/14
Genre: Metal, Death Metal
Label: FDA Rekotz
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