Customer Reviews

Penalty

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many a fan of Exhorder bought this, hoping it would be a surrogate third album of the Deep South thrashers. Anyone expecting an extreme thrash-fest from this album will be highly disappointed. While Floodgate features a former member of Exhorder, none of the old sound has been retained at all.

Y'see, 'Penalty' is sludgy Doom-laden swamp rock, more akin to the likes of Trouble and Monster Magnet than Dark Angel and Pantera. This is an album of huge rock slab guitar riffs and a rhythm section dragged out of the slimy 'gator infested swamps of the Bayou. There is nothing fancy here, just four guys churning out the music they love, without pretension.

Kyle Thomas was the acidic mouthpiece of Exhorder in his thrash incarnation. With Floodgate, he proves highly versatile, and surprisingly comes out with a rough edged blues-y voice, reminiscent of a number of singers from different bands, one moment Trouble, the next Masters of Reality, and the odd touch of Ozzy. Thomas shows an excellent ear for vocal melody, and backing vocal harmonies slide in and out of many of the songs. The Exhorder roar comes out on occasion, to add effect or emphasise a point.

"Whole" is like a soundtrack for that moment of semi-consciousness between waking and sleeping, like Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan". "Second Guesser" jolts you out of that reverie, with an almost Hardcore shout-along feel, like a Corrosion Of Conformity or Crowbar track.

Fans of supergroup Down will love this album. Strangely enough, it was released about the same time as 'Nola', and was also recorded in New Orleans. It is basic, no nonsense Stoner Rock, minus the stoned part and stripped back to the bare bones. You don't even need to get out of it to get into this.

Floodgate's oeuvre contains three ass-kicking grunge-grind-groove tracks that are really worth listening to:

-Those days is definetly the best, with an upbeat tempo and good percussions along with darn good vocals

-Black with Sin comes second with a groovy opening section that won't let you down

-Last but not least we have before the line divides an overall good track

All in all I wish all the best for this band, the potential is undeniably huge (I think Floodgate sounds much better than the over-hyped Creed).

Kyle Thomas and his brother Kevin have put together an album full of powercords and riffs that you can really appreciate. With songs like Second Guesser, Black With Sin, & Those Days this is definitely a keeper for any true fan of Rock n' Roll. Steve Fischer provides key lead guitar riffs and Kyle's vocals are better than ever. If you want something fresh and heavy, buy this album.

"Unfulfilling" took the words from my mouth. Exactly my experience, bought on the power of a "Best Of..." review. Almost every track just makes me cringe for some or all of its length.

I bought this CD a couple of years back, sold by assurances that it was a return to honest detuned power riffs and one of the top ten albums of the year. I'm afraid that I cannot rate this work as highly, the overall feel is of emptiness, without a hook or feature that really grabs me. You may come to your own conclusions but I am of the opinion that the purchase price of this CD will not be justified by aural pleasure.