Susperia 

Cut From Stone

Candlelight 2007

Thick and Heavy like a sledgehammer in a similar way to Pantera, Norway's Susperia pound out a near thrash amalgam of metal that is at times generic and commercial while at others gripping and inspiring.  Part of Susperia's style I loathe because they seem so fake and boring but other parts, mostly the melodic passages with clean vocals like the chorus on Lackluster.  Though considered by many to be a thrash metal band, I find their brand of music to be a little too modern and mainstream to embody my vision of thrash.  Most of their riffing is chunky chords that have a metallic feel but their thrash roots manage to come out during the speedfest of The Clone.  Distant Memory tries a completely different tactic, being a more emotional song with acoustic and atmospheric parts and 'heartfelt" vocals.  Meanwhile Release sports a masculine main riff similar to Exodus during the Fabulous Disaster days before its drifts into the strained and pleading vocals I find so appealing.  Life Deprived is probably the most in your face and manly with its hectic speed.  Due to good songwriting it eloquently balances the heaviness with some calm melodic leads.  Basically for me Cut From Stone represents an updated take on the style of middle ear Pantera with a smattering of other influences and some catchy clean choruses thrown in.  Daniel Bergstrand manages to to give Susperia a meaty and crystal clear production on Cut From Stone which suits their style to a tee.  Cut From Stone is an album I enjoy while I am listening to it but I seldom pick it up to listen to.  So it treads a fine balancing act between being enjoyable and being forgettable.  I guess it mainly depends on my mood the day I have it in my CD player.  I can see Cut From Stone have a wide appeal within the more mainstream segments of the underground.