AN ABSENCE OF EMPATHY

I was anxiously awaiting the next Frameshift cd after hearing the excellent Unweaving the Rainbow and was sort of let down upon hearing that Sebastian Bach would be handling vocal duties on the next one.Henning Pauly(Chain) wanted to get away from the clean,schooled style of Labrie's singing and for his next project wanted someone with a rough,dirty delivery.He initially wanted Devin Townsend but he was busy and Pauly found Bach agreeable to the project. Like the first Frameshift cd this is not a concept album per se,with no storyline,but a series of songs revolving around the same topic.The topic here is human nature and violence. This cd features Bach on vocals,Eddie Marvin on drums and Henning Pauly on virtually everything else,including engineering and mixing.This album exceeded my expectations,Bach's voice is strong and powerful,he does quite well on the heavier songs and shines on the more melodic numbers.The music is very strong,with Pauly using alot of of electronic effects as accents.The two standout tracks are "I Killed You",with changes in tempo and melody,going from ballad like passages to experimental stuff to complex harmonies that put Bach's brutal screams under the spotlight.Fantastic synths solos permeat the song that are complemented by a terrific guitar run.The other track "Blade" is a sprawling,epic number with masterfully crafted symphonic touches. Not as good as the first but a good progressive metal album.3 stars