FFO Reviews "True Predation" by Struck By Lightning
I chose to blindly listen to Struck By Lightning from a Spotify suggestion, and I'd be lying if I said my immediate impression wasn't a positive one. Although I'm fairly familiar with vocalist Greg Lahm's previous work in Mouth of the Architect, Struck By Lightning is quite a departure in not only sound, but with their ability to keep my long-term interest as well. "True Predation" is equal parts d-beat punk and doom metal; bringing to mind the likes of Disfear or The Great Deceiver (see: Tomas Lindberg), but draws also draws contemporary comparisons to groups like Himsa, Black Breath, and All Pigs Must Die. The band is able to run the full gamut of metallic styles well within the album's opener, "Sickening Reality", and maintain that fervor & ferocity well throughout its 9 other tracks. However, it's hard for a band playing this style to truly stick out from their peers. "True Predation" is a bit of a "here & now" sort of listen.
FFO: Tomas Lindberg bands, misleading use of high-contrast black & white imagery, playing/attending shows with humans who smell like Subway sandwich onions.