#thegrandschemeofthings

[gavintatesmusicjournal]

[gavintatesmusicjournal]

Stan Smith - The Grand Scheme of Things (CD) Album

19/08/15

There’s a Ministry meets Cannibal Corpse feel to opener ‘Rumble In The Jungle’ as it batters its way through a pit of destruction and carnage! Double bass pedal attack is followed by gut rumbling bass lines, mass thrash metal riffage and a blazing vocal. ‘Children of The Inferno’ is a stop start monster from the word go, which is engaged in trigger happy drums and Dimebag Darrell-esque licks. I’m feeling the string tapping here is of a quality that is beyond reckoning with! ‘Moshpit Song’ is like early Metallica, but with a black metal twist. One thing for sure is these cretin's know how to play their instruments. The musicianship is forefront and the production is impeccable! ‘Corn 1′ is manic; like a voyage through the garden of Rob Zombie; whilst getting throttled over the head with an axe swung by every member of System of a Down. ‘Space Egypt’ is the groups closest stab at feasting with Slayer and is the best tune on the menu yet. Again the guitar is out of this world, beyond epic! ‘Black Winters’ is a carousel instrumental drenched in petrol and set on fire. Wailing and beef heavy riffs compliment the drums as they trigger their way in to bedlam. ‘Christopher Smelly Socks’ is musically hectic and could quite easily wreck the walls of a roller disco. High pitched guitar tremors tear through this like there’s no tomorrow; along with blistering rhythms; a screaming vocal, and a black bag full of mayhem. ‘Uncle Frank’ is an off beat dish of death served up on a metal platter! Possibly the heaviest track so far and would have a pit circling for sure. The guitar collides with itself here and would cause more than a pile up on a motorway. ‘Primal Concrete Twins’ is chaotic as singer Angelo screams lyrics: “From desire, from desire!”. They have managed to make the song go out of key here and bring it back in to point where it actually works, amazing. A great bass breakdown follows, which fires into tap happy guitar brutality. The album closes with ‘40 Foot Raver’, (what a title) and is as big as its title describes, maybe bigger. Stan Smith prove with this record that they’re by far one of Jersey’s greatest metal combo’s with an ear for music of the heaviest kind. Be sure to scope the net for this roaring cascade! ********8/10

By Gavin Tate

for Tasty Fanzine