Alex Scherf - drums

review  by dalia "gryphon_spirit" di giacomo____   

Energetic THRASH attacks influenced by the 80's, not very innovative but played and sung really well. Unfortunately lyrics and music....

Let's say immediately that, as far as booklet, production, arrangement and playing technique concerns, Davidian presents a product which is very professional, well organized in every detail and that they play and sing in such a good way that they are surely more than ready for any label. Concerning this aspect , Davidian, German band formed 1997, deserve 9 points out of 10 or maybe more. The booklet is really interesting and complete with 12 sides  with lyrics and good fotos.

OK but what is not completely up to the task are the musical contents. Davidian play Thrash Metal influenced so much by the 80's and first 90's . You can find traces which lead back to Pantera , Megadeth, Slayer, but the thing that towers above  everything, in my opinion, is the extreme similarity to the first Metallica concerning style , ideas, passages, chords, but without reaching the touch of genius that Metallica had...at that time, and maybe still have today. Anyway aggressiveness and energy are out of question,  their songs have there many  really good starting points , and we can say that the tracks are  really a classical Thrash attack and war declaration. Double bass- drum is really good à la Black , but maybe rhythmic drums and cymbals are a  bit too much overloaded  . There is a kind of beat too much , drummer Alex should work a bit less, he is doing a really impressive super work, but some beats here and there are a bit superfluous.  Another important minus point is that there is a certain discrepancy between the rhythm of the vocals and the rhythm of the instrumentation. Chris Prendergast sings mighty and properly , but he results a bit unbalanced i think due the text. Lyrics are  critical against religions and various dishonesty applied by those who have the power in our society,  but when you sing them, the result is  sometimes  just a word too much or a word too less  in almost every song,  so that words don't perfectly match the musical rhythm. quickly said there is no perfect synchronicity between these 2 ingredients. 

The best song imo is The Face  you'll never see again, and very agreeable is the melodic guitar-based intro of Feelings of Angry. The opener Religious Exploitation reminds of  Metallica's Creeping Death, and in general a fast blasting uptempo thrash- discharge with some drops of Death is the rule for Davidian.  This is why  Thrash fans  who like the classical way to express this genre, can surely consider  Abuse of Power , all in all,  a good album. This album indeed  is mainly for them.  Anyway they are not very innovative but  they seem engaged and  already well known in the Thrash German metal scene, and i can presume they have much enthusiasm. Davidian are currently working on stuff  for their forthcoming full length Studio CD which will be recorded in Autumn. They have played with bands like Disinfect, Profanity, Disastrous Murmur,  Behind the Scenery, Blackend, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter , Apophis not by chance. But  I get  the impression that Davidian , conscious of the fact that  they play and sing well, want  to do simply too much , blinded by the mirage  to be brutal , fast and superangry at any cost. Soldiers of Metal against the corrupted bad society eh? Ehi ...but music is art...and , as such, one of the best weapons so far...

Rating: 7/10

presentation|news|editorials|reviews|interviews|movies and DVD's|live reports|specials|

f**king bollox|tours|dates|suggestions|in store|upcoming releases|underground|

artwork|videoclips|MP3's|venues|cd's archive|links|contacts|gryphonbook

[I Despair]