Here’s a video that came out of nowhere and really impressed me–the latest single from Canadian thrash-metal group Fatality, who will be playing in town this weekend. “Thoughts Collide” comes from their album Psychonaut, which just came out a couple of weeks ago, and it’s got an unusual sound that works quite well for these guys.
Here’s a video that came out of nowhere and really impressed me–the latest single from Canadian thrash-metal group Fatality, who will be playing in town this weekend. “Thoughts Collide” comes from their album Psychonaut, which just came out a couple of weeks ago, and it’s got an unusual sound that works quite well for these guys. With its thick, midtempo groove and solid, compressed production, the extended instrumental passage that begins the song reminds me of stuff I loved in the early 90s; Helmet, Quicksand, maybe even Pro-Pain a little bit (though thankfully with less of the dated funk elements utilized by the latter). What really makes this track stand out is everything that happens after the bass-led segue into the verses. Things speed up and get heavier without losing intricacy, and singer Spencer LeVon unleashes his unique and excellent vocal style. These days it seems like bands in this genre go one of two ways–screamy (good) or whiny (bad). LeVon isn’t afraid to sing cleanly, but rather than being the kiss of death it is for so many other bands, his melodic vocals further liven up an already-ripping track. They’re actually (gasp) quite original, and add a breath of fresh air that makes a good tune even better. The video isn’t anything earth-shattering–depicting the group performing in a dramatically-lit room, with LeVon spending part of the song in a straitjacket, it’s the kind of thing you’ve seen plenty of times before–but the song itself is the big news here, and the way it holds up extremely well over five full minutes is enough to make me really excited for Fatality’s live performance in RVA this weekend.
Fatality performs at Wonderland, located at 1727 E. Main St in Shockoe Bottom, on Friday, July 12, along with local metallers 45 AD and Cremains. Doors open at 9 PM, admission is $5. For more info, click here.
By Andrew Necci