ORDER AND PUNISHMENT

Wow, never has there ever been a tech metal band that could pull off such energy and structures this well in those styles. Usually for tech metal, bands like Nile, Krisiun, and Cryptopsy tend to have some drumming styles that tend to be overuse and too tight to the point where it becomes a chore to listen to, mostly with Nile. Riffs get too stale and they never seem to go anywhere. But !T.O.O.H.!'s "Order and Punishment" manages to avoid this pitfall.

The drumming may have similarities to the aforementioned tech metal bands, but it manages to support the riffs rather well and sound just well enough to not drown out the music and manages to be pretty precise as well. The drumming also varies from a fast to a moderate tempo in the middle of the songs too, adding a great dynamic pace that keeps you coming back.

The riffs here have the rasp grindcore sound that makes the music really harsh and brutal, at times even more brutal than Nile and Krisiun. The music at times even sounds atonal, but manages to pull it off so well where most tech bands couldn't pull it off well. However, the band manages to add melody to the brutality and manages to fit rather well, most of the time. There are some moments, such as in Rad a Trest, where the melodic bit is out of place, but this is very few an far in between. Another exceptional note is that the production also lets you hear the bass as well, even as it follows the riffs and it follows it rather well.

And finally, the vocals, which sound like Beavis when he drink a ton of cappuccinos and turn into Cornholio, but in this case, a very aggressive and threatening Cornholio. Not something you'd hear in this kind of music, but it just adds to the aggressive and harsh music. To add even more, read the lyrics translated in English if you dare. I can only say it's the most bizzare things I've ever read.

Order and Punishment manages to get most things right where other tech metal bands don't. Shifting paces in the middle of each song manages to hold listeners interest along with the harsh grindcore riffs and the surprisingly well implementation of melody. Even the most atonal moments work rather well. Excellent production in this album makes each instruments, especially the bass, audible and doesn't manage to take over one another. And finally, the spazzy energy of the vocals as well as the lyrics adds to the harsh music. You'll be hard pressed to find metal this well structured and engaging as this. Highly recommended for metal fans who are looking for something complex and something different.

9.3/10