LARVA

Lately I'm pretty excited if I get something from Spain (like living legend Hocico and the great innovator C-Lekktor) and that creates a lot of high expectations. Sadly Larva did not make me jump up and down...

The first song 'Solo pido que me recuerdes durante un instante' starts with a child singing, very angelic. A bit misguiding, as a harsh voice takes over, mixed with soft electronics and a computer voice. The tempo is a bit low and that is something I can say overall. I feel and hear a lot of potential, but some pitching is needed! The anger needs to be vented in a more aggressive way! Some background screaming doesn't feel like it's ment!

'Fuck the Poor' is simply the best song, if I take in count the tempo and the beats, but I don't like the title, but in that case one needs to know the bigger picture as it's misleading. 'Buried Alive' has a nice drive and is the second best of the album (here I really love the lyrics: against Capitalism). 'Breathing Violence' has nice music, not really blending in with the voice, but it has great potential. Another song that has great potential is 'Inner fear', but again the tempo and drive could use a boost (love the small crying noise)! 'My own Hell' has again great potential, but the tempo is cut down. I love the music in this one, it has somehow an hypnotic sound. Third best song of the cd?

In some songs I hear some old school Suicide Commando influences, but then more as referring to the low tempo songs.

The old communist chants are nice if - once again - you understand or know the bigger picture.

The last song is a soft song, not the kind that makes you hit the repeat function...

And that is sadly my conclusion for the whole cd. I get like 10 bands like this and this one is in the end not strong enough to compete with them. The potential is there, but it doesn't show off enough...

On a positive note: I have heard that they are better on stage than on cd...

Filip VAN MUYLEM
27/02/2014