Band:	Element (UK)
Album:	Corrupt Desires
Style:	Technical thrash metal
Release date:	May 2011

01. The Art Of Illusion
02. Corrupted
03. Solace
04. Revolution Denied
05. Urban Assault
06. Dissipate
07. Contemporary Insanity
08. Prophet Of Hate
09. Embrace The Ending

Corrupt Desires is a tech/thrash album that isn't afraid to get its melancholy on. It fluctuates frequently from being balls-out with its thrash to being balls-tucked-in with its sadness. Yeah, I know. Sounds pretty lame and contrived, but Element pulls it off pretty well.

The musicianship on this thing deserves respect. The guitar work, in particular, is top notch. The riffs are meaty and the solos are protein-filled. They consistently kicked my ass. Period. Meanwhile, however, the vocals prove a bit of a challenge to get used to. At first, when I heard them I winced. But that wasn't fair. It was an automatic response?they acted as a Pavlovian cue. When I hear even a hint of nu metal I clinch everything I have to clinch. But, once given time, they just aren't bad enough to be distracting. The vocalist's performance is heartfelt enough.

By far the biggest problem with this release is the production, though. It's literally plain bad. The entire album has a hollow, empty quality to it that makes Element sound as if there's a thick door closed in between them and you. It makes it so nothing in Corrupt is in-your-face and makes the album sound sterile. Which is a shame. Element boasts its share of talent, and the production makes said talent sound caged. This is especially true when it comes to the drummer. Although he rarely does more than keep a beat, his work sounds especially smothered by the production. Which detracts considerably from the power of the non-sad parts.

All-in-all, though, this isn't a bad album. Yeah, the production sucks and the vocalist's performance takes time to get used to, but the riffs are there. Passion is too. Corrupt Desires is worth checking out.