Arabrot     

S/T

Fysisk Format 2013

Noise rockin' post punkers Arabrot return with their latest bout of cacophonous destruction.  I must say this is my first exposure to them and I am left unimpressed.  It seems a bit cheesy to me and a bit like they would share the stage with a band like Marilyn Manson or Rammstein.  Ha-Satan Deofol opens the album with dramatic raspy vocals and a pounding beat.  The guitars pick up for a bombastic chorus before dropping back into the midtempo sections.  A better guitar line surfaces during Throwing Rocks At The Devil while the vocals add a bit of cynicism to their tone but I am still left feeling uninspired.  And that really seems to be a bit of the root problem with this album, it seems like the band feels uninspired themselves, like they are going through the motions.  This is borderline commercial, it's trying to sound dangerous but it is really actually pretty safe music.  A heavier rock foundation serves the music well on Arrabal's Dream and I like the dual male/female chants during the track.  Blood On The Poet's gruff vocals and bass driven songwriting grates on my nerves.  Some sharp breaks and drum bursts at the beginning of Blood On Bunny makes a reappearance as the song drives towards a noisy passage with meaty bass guitars and crashing cymbals.  Drawing Down The Moon highlights another problem I have with Arabrot's songwriting, it lurches and recedes creating a yo-yo effect which destroys the momentum of the song for me.  Arabrot has underwhelmed me to say the least with my first taste of their music.  With that being said, this will likely be my last experience with them as their music does zero for me.