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Spineshank - The Height Of Callousness review



Reviewer:
5.5

55 users:
7.64
Band: Spineshank
Album: The Height Of Callousness
Release date: October 2000


01. Asthmatic
02. The Height Of Callousness
03. Synthetic
04. New Disease
05. (Can't Be) Fixed
06. Cyanide 2600
07. Play God
08. Malnutrition
09. Seamless
10. Negative Space
11. Transparent

Roadrunner Records was a label known for having a big and varied catalogue, able to satisfy many people at the same time, with a very underground attitude. Their bet on the growing popularity and commercial potential of Nu Metal and other alternative styles of playing Metal or using it as part of a different style has altered that relation and today it has lost credit among many older followers.

Despite the occasional exceptions, Spineshank is, however, one of the chapters that confirm that recent course. "The Height Of Callousness" is an appealing title, but I bet the fusion "Industrial Metal" will "scare" some already. But let's proceed, without caring about money or popularity, just the music. First song brings in the electric guitars and typical beats of an album of this kind, continual situation, and clearly points out Fear Factory as their main influence. Unfortunately there's no brilliant double bass work here. Unfortunately the vocals are annoying. Unfortunately Spineshank tries to put even more attitude and sometimes don't achieve the captivating result that this style requests, with boring and constantly recycled riffs, in monotonous but noisy repetitions. The good side is this band knows how to use good effects. Listening to tracks like "The Height Of Callousness" or "Seamless" make me wonder how would this sound if they took the "Wannabe-Metal" side out, especially in the excess that is "Cyanide 2600", a situation of uncontrol of their capabilities, considering what they are trying to do.

Spineshank definitely had the means to make a great album, but some songs aren't taken to the technical level required, don't feature much variation and drown in the production and inconsequent instrumentalism. In a nutshell, if you don't like the bigger bands like Fear Factory or Static-X don't even bother with this (though you probably have stopped reading the review in the beginning of the second paragraph anyway). If you do like those bands you can give this one a try but it certainly won't surprise you.

Written by Passenger | 08.02.2005




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.


Comments

Comments: 2   Visited by: 48 users
18.06.2008 - 19:28
Rating: 7
Paradox0
Unasuming Madnes
Yeah the albums is sorta generic but has nice raw energy atleast.
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15.06.2009 - 13:43
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Ow cmon. It's not bad. In fact, its one of the best nu-metal albums to me. Maybe the industrial metal wasn't as technical as it could, but still the songs are very nice, and the album presents a certain ''rawness' inexistent in other nu-metal works.

I found it very good considering its purpose and its preponderent genre. Bad is their other album, pure genric nu-metal, this one at least present us with some originality.
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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