Debut albums that blow your mind: always a pleasure. Chosen is
a death metal duo hailing from the faraway lands of Ireland. Their
9-track album ‘Resolution’ is a solid piece that might
actually stand as one of the best debut albums of the year. Formed
in 2005, the guys are obviously not new to the metal scene and
I guarantee this can be heard on this release, as it is very professional
and demonstrates top-notch musicianship.
First
of all, to explain why my brains are blown away, this is a sort
of melodic yet crushing death metal with a strong progressive
side and good hooks. I was actually looking for a new album this
year that would combine these elements of the genre, and I think
I found just what I was looking for. It’s quite a compelling
listen, from start to finish. There are elements of extreme heaviness
brilliantly blended with melodic moments, whether they are mellow
passages or rampant leads. It surprises, it flows rapidly and
naturally without being overcomplicated and without requiring
a huge effort on the listener’s side, provided you are already
quite familiar with some progressive metal. In between syncopations
and breakdowns you find some great melodic lines contrasting the
dark, intense atmosphere.
Some
songs do accentuate the heavy side, some - the progressive, technical
one. The overall pace is quite fast and convulsive. I particularly
liked the parts where the proggy moments dissolve into furiously-paced
rhythms. Nice dissonances are like the spice of riffing here.
Where they appear, the soft, prog-style clean vocals mix well
over very heavy riffs and the galloping rhythms. The guitar leads
are sharp and melodic and will surely remind you of a few of your
guitar idols - no names given, listen and find out. Apart from
that, watch for the fiddle… an unexpected (ok not THAT unexpected)
appearance for an added eerie effect but surely very effective.
To
think only two guys have created this, I can only bow and praise
their twisted minds. I love what they have done here and I highly
recommend it to all fans of extreme metal. There’s something
here for everyone, you have your desired levels of aggressiveness
and then added musicianship that makes everything much more captivating
and, warning, possibly addictive. |
Plenty
of modern day extreme metal frankly leaves me cold. A plethora
of bands have emerged with an over reliance on blast beats and
with identikit screaming vocals that do absolutely nothing for
my love of passion and melody. There are always exceptions to
the rule, of course, and one of the bands which adds a pretty
unique flavour to this genre, in my ears at any rate, are Chosen
and their debut album ‘Resolution’. I hadn’t heard
of them before now but, according to their website, they were
formed in Ireland in 2005, have released a number of demos as
well as relocating to Canada for a year to broaden their horizons.
Upon returning to the Emerald Isle, half of the band decided to
depart, leaving Chosen in a state of flux. After a period of inactivity,
however, the two founding members wanted to finish what they had
started and pressed forward with making this album and I’m
very glad they did as they have released a bit of a beast.
Chosen are now essentially a duo consisting of David McCann (drums/percussion)
and Paul Shields (vocals/guitar/bass). Aided by Jackie McNally
(additional vocals), Fiona Morrin (fiddle) and Paul Allen (sound
fx and synths), if you are a lover of bands such as Meshuggah,
Gojira, Cynic, Atheist, Death, Fear Factory, Opeth, Nevermore
and a little Devin Townsend then you are going to think Christmas
has arrived early this year. Chosen take elements of all of those
bands and more and have created a swirling mass of progressive,
melodic death metal and fused that with metalcore to fantastic
effect.
‘Engines of Belief’ opens the album with some very Celtic
influenced rhythms before launching into the track proper and
immediately what I loved is how the drums (which are excellent
throughout) follow the guitar rhythms. This is a HEAVY and extreme
album, but the quality of playing, superb riffs and the fact that
Chosen do not rely on ultra fast drumming or soloing just for
the sake of it means that I appreciate this so much more than
usual. Vocals are not completely screamed either, with some very
melodic and pretty good clean singing as well. Add to that some
great acoustic and quieter passages within songs, such as the
much more progressive ‘The Narcissism Epidemic’ and
you have an album full to the brim with a vast array of styles.
What you should also be mightily impressed with (considering this
is a completely independent release) is the quality of production
and mix courtesy of Alwyn Walker at Westland Studios, Dublin,
Ireland. ‘Resolution’ sounds like a Panzer Division
of tanks arriving at full speed on your doorstep and not stopping!
There is also no let up in quality over the nine songs. Best of
all, though, is that apart from the album being available in two
very nice looking CD packages, Chosen have seen fit to supply
‘Resolution’ as a completely free download from their
website, so there really is no excuse not to check them out! I
might still have reservations about the type of screamed vocals
that bands like Chosen employ but credit where it’s due,
if you can put that aside, what you will find here is an extremely
accomplished debut album that is well worth checking out. [7.5/10] |
If
anyone deserves a break, it’s Chosen. Older readers will
remember their excellent demos, which each fused well written
melodies with technical proficiency, and more importantly, emotion.
Then they seemed to go quiet. They seemed to: but in fact the
creative duo of Paul Shields and Dave McCann actually moved to
Canada to continue the band there. They’ve been back for
a few years now, experiencing setback after setback in trying
to get a lineup solidified. Rather than be deterred, the duo that
formed the core of the band have just decided to plough on and
do it themselves - and what remarkable results they’ve achieved
on this debut album.
It opens with what almost seems homage. As toms rumble inward,
the first thing that comes to mind is the classic opening from
Death’s ‘Human’ - the dull thud of ‘Flattening
Of Emotions’. There’s no secret that Chosen have always
been influenced by Chuck Schuldiner’s songwriting and sound.
But the times have moved on, and Chosen have moved with them.
There’s as much Gojira in their sound nowadays as anything
else, and this album’s muscular production enhances the darkly
mechanical groove that they’ve now got comprehensively nailed.
In many ways, this album is the true sum of the band’s influences.
‘Defective Prospection’ opens with a sci-fi pummel that’s
pure vintage Fear Factory in the best possible way, before launching
into that helicopter blade chop first heard on Meshuggah’s
‘I’. It’s pretty breathtaking stuff. Their songwriting
quality also shines on ‘The Narcissism Epidemic’, which
convulses through a dozen excellent riffs before literally exploding
into a frantic blastbeat for the end section - and you know
about it when Dave McCann is blasting.
I think of all things though, the biggest surprise in their new
format is the excellent quality of Paul Shields’ vocal efforts.
He had a very tough act to follow when stepping into the shoes
of Carl King, who’s almost Kirk Windstein delivery was a
real treat. Yet Paul has made the role his own, even including
Cynic esque robo-vocals at points. His rasp is pretty good, but
the real highlight here is definitely his clean work. It’s
powerful, never loses the note and never sounds timorous the way
many heavy singers can when making their first forays into singing
properly. In truth the only dud on here is the rather irritating
‘Mental Clarity', which sort of lacks exactly that - it’s
a bit of a ponder round some first year philosophy lyrics and
riffs that don’t really do much service to everything else
on the album. It feels like a song they had to do, rather than
one they really engaged with. Things get back on track in no time
however, and the band just sail through the remainder. ‘Diminishment’
is pure Gojira, while influences from Cynic and Nevermore pepper
the rest of it. It’s a mix of all that’s great - Death,
Nevermore, Atheist, Meshuggah, Fear Factory, Dark Tranquility
all find their home in Chosen’s sound.
The production is almost impossibly beefy for just two dudes,
and really lets the kick drums in particular punch through with
a noticeable effect on the air pressure around your speakers.
The tone is just incredible. So fair play to Chosen, not just
for sticking with it through thick and thin, but for forging a
molten metal machine of an album that screams quality from its
every note. This is the new sound of Metal in Ireland - a new
generation has taken over, putting out music of sometimes boggling
quality and tone, taking the best influences from extreme metal’s
past while looking ahead to the future. And in Chosen’s case,
the calibre of their work is the very sound of perseverance. Superb.
[4.2/5] |
Every
music fan has their favorite bands - their heroes. As a teenager
digging through the endless depths of metal music, I found bands
like Slayer, Pantera and Testament to be the ones that I look
up to. Checking out this next band, I found some overall similarity
with one of my other inspirations - the almighty Death. As a positive
surprise, I discovered that the release about to be presented
truly follows the line of bands comprising of virtuous instrumentalists.
Without further ado, I give you Chosen - an Irish duo with the
taste for fast metal with surgical precision. David McCann (drums,
percussion) and Paul Shields (vocals, guitars) are the two ‘chosen’
components which interact on a higher level. Their (instru)mental
bond has produced numerous EPs which are followed by the topic
of this review - the full length release entitled ‘Resolution’.
A fitting name to this hard pounding and truly impressive musical
experience.
Right off the bat Chosen decide to switch directly to the last
gear they have on their death machine. ‘Engines of Belief’
has that modern Gojira sound that every metal fan aware of the
present scene will surely recognize. Gurgling guitar chops that
Meshuggah have introduced to the world can also be heard in the
overall mix of madness called ‘Defective Prospection’.
Something that the duo should definitely take pride of is the
ability to make a logical transition from furious machine gun
double-bass sections to tender acoustic guitar parts back and
forth. Looking into the vocal section a little bit closer I can
see a great resemblance to the work of the genius that is Chuck
Schuldiner. The hissing screams, the deep growls that Randy Blythe
has spat out countless times, combined with the airy Devin Townsend
clean parts fill in the spectrum smartly.
‘Resolution’ brings fans of technical metal music something
to cheer about. There are many nuances of musicianship that lurk
around the whole record. They will satisfy your taste for the
nifty drum work and flawless guitar chops. Satisfaction is a long
lasting sensation here, trust me! [7/10] |
Dublin
born Chosen have grafted their metal sound into a fuming beast
over the course of eight years and now with a new album release
called ‘Resolution’, things are looking bright for their
future. They’ve had an incredible response to their release,
with thousands of downloads and any number of positive reviews
posted throughout the metal community. With several EPs recorded
between here and Vancouver, ‘Resolution’ is their first
full length album and what a package they’ve created. The
album is available for download on their website and at other
locations but they have also pieced together a beautiful limited
edition hardcopy CD and a separate Collector’s Edition (a
sixty-page full cover book filled with photos, lyrics and diaries).
It’s a step further than most other bands will go and an
awesome touch to their new release. Check these pieces out at
their website; definitely worth a look.
But most importantly the music reflects the physical beauty of
this collection. Recorded at Westland Studios in Dublin, ‘Resolution’
pulls together their experience and moulds it into this diverse
metal beast. It’s quick and edgy from the outset with influences
from the likes of Gojira, Nevermore and Opeth seeping through
their riffs without saturating. Although segments may be similar
in places to various big name bands they’re hard to place
and never overused. The result of which is a sound Paul Shields
and David McCann have developed over the years to create Chosen.
Key tracks on the album for me were ‘Engines of Belief’,
‘Mental Clarity’ and ‘Metaphysical Contradiction’.
For me, these stood out amongst the rest, delivering tribal drum
openings, crushing guitar riffs, jagged veering vocals and flowing
metal grooves. ‘Mental Clarity’ as such is just an enjoyable
song that if anything else should be given a quick listen. Rounding
off on ‘Resolution’, it’s great to see a band go
that extra step with their physical productions for their album.
In today’s music environment, especially here in Ireland,
this is what’s needed. Chosen’s Collector’s Edition
of their album is something special that I really hope people
come to appreciate. |
Review:
Resolution (2013)
-
Emurg
|
I
learned from an interview with the band McGalligog that the metal
scene in Ireland is not entirely big or popular at the moment,
but it seems to be growing, and the bands I have heard thus far
are generally on the more talented side of things. I had the chance
to review McGalligog’s album a little while back along with
that interview, and now we are here with the debut album from
the band Chosen, entitled ‘Resolution’. It is an aggressive,
yet groove-heavy album that provides an excellent listening experience
all throughout. They take heavy influence from the likes of Meshuggah
and Gojira, but craft those stylings into a work of their own.
The album starts out with the track ‘Engines of Belief’
that has this very tribal/Celtic feeling drum pattern that extends
well into the beginning of the song with an acoustic guitar part
to help accent it. Soon this is overcome by a barrage of sound.
This fast pace is kept up throughout the album with hints of atmosphere
here and there to help keep the album together as a unit. This
album is chock full of technical prowess and capability, that
as a technical death metal geek, it is really hard not to love
it. The production overall is done very well, and it does a great
job masking the fact that there is no dedicated bassist. Which
once you actually discover and look for you’ll notice that
the album is not very bass heavy at all. You will also be surprised
that the whole album is done by just two guys. David McCann takes
over all the drums and percussion duties, and Paul Shields covers
everything else.
The drums on this album are not near the complexity of Tomas Haake’s
drumming; the time signatures on the album aren’t trying
to be crazy like Meshuggah and they don’t really traverse
any new ideas in drumming, but overall the drums are technically
sound and provide an excellent pacemaker for the album. Nothing
about them feels out of place, and they are not obnoxious in the
mix, which is always nice. The vocals are impressive as well.
Taking a lot of inspiration from the likes of Jens Kidman, but
mixing in a good assortment of clean vocals, they add a lot to
the atmosphere of the album. They’re a sort of slower more
haunting vocal style, and it’s done really well. It very
well adds to the sinister feel the atmosphere provides overall.
The final track on the album ‘The Departure Lounge’
is one of the most aggressive on the album, and is a fantastic
way to end off this beast. It sums up their sound really well
and touches base with everything that makes them who they are.
At just over 45 minutes long this album isn’t by any means
long for a tech death album leaning towards progressive death
metal, but it’s a great length. It doesn’t feel like
it drags on at any moment and each song fits perfectly in its
spot.
Chosen’s style may be heavily inspired by the likes of Gojira
and Meshuggah, but there is something really refreshing about
their take on technical death metal. It’s a solid blend of
crushing groovy riffs and technical prowess that doesn’t
in the slightest feel like a rehashing of their inspirations work.
Chosen have found a way to fit in between these bands styles and
make it work for themselves. These guys are definitely a band
to watch, and the Irish metal scene is lucky to have such talent.
[4.5/5] |
If
you can’t name any metal bands from Ireland, don’t kick
yourself; no one can. Until now, at least. Chosen are an Irish
extreme metal duo who, due to an inexhaustible string of line-up
changes and setbacks, have only just recorded their debut album,
‘Resolution’, despite having been together since 2005.
With influences ranging from Nevermore to Opeth to Gojira, you’ll
be disappointed if you were hoping for some folk metal like an
Irish Korpiklaani. ‘Resolution’ is too crushing to jig
around to.
The
start of opening track ‘Engines of Belief’ is a mere
wink at their cultural roots with an appetite-whetting blast of
Celtic-like drums, and a nod to the progressive aspects of their
music. The hard grind in Chosen’s music becomes increasingly
apparent through the aggressive, rhythmic drums in ‘Defective
Prospection’, the vocal-heavy ‘The Narcissism Epidemic’,
and its stylistic pitching and rolling. ‘Mental Clarity’
has a tidy main riff that could cut through concrete with its
precision and bruising vibrations. Chosen’s exacting musicianship
and dark, eclectic methodology is distinct right to the last mournful
strains.
‘Resolution’ is an industrious and energetic album,
pulsating with the diverse facets of the band’s distinguishable
influences. Chosen’s songwriting skills have crafted an album
that will be instantly accessible to a wide circle of metal fans
yet still retain a magnetic allure due to the intensity of its
heavier songs. This is a weighty addition to bulk up any extreme
metal collection. [7/10] |
From
the Emerald Isle come Chosen and their album, ‘Resolution’.
This prog-minded extreme metal duo is comprised of percussionist
David McCann and guitarist/vocalist Paul Shields. For nearly an
hour Chosen hash out an intense blend of heaviness and melody
with complex songwriting and flawless musicianship.
With no song less than five minutes these Irish lads take ample
time letting their ideas flow forth. When dropping the heavy,
it gets really heavy. Chunky riffs force the need for movement,
whether just headbanging or full-on mosh destruction. Those churning
and heaving riffs are countered by plenty of syncopation, with
the duo locked in with each other, pounding your ears into submission.
The effect is close to maybe deathcore or metalcore but never
feels as played out as those genres.
Let’s not forget the melodies. As deft as Chosen are at the
ground and pound, they are equally adept at laying up and letting
prog elements filter through. The effect of such diversity is
that you can never really pin Resolution into one genre. The crunch
and pace likens to death metal, as does Shields’ scratchy
rasp but at times one can feel classic metal influences or even
a touch of industrial. Tracks such as ‘The Narcissism Epidemic’
and ‘Metaphysical Contradiction’ -- the two longest
-- also see Shields utilizing clean vocals to emphasize the softer
side of the band. While the band do play with mostly culture-neutral
tendencies, their Irish roots are displayed in places via acoustic
guitars and other strings, but only briefly. It’s something
this writer wouldn’t mind Chosen exploring more in the future.
‘Resolution’ is an enigmatic and aggressive album from
a band with a clear vision of their direction. Chugging staccato
rhythms and sweet melodic prog blend seamlessly to form tracks
that will bubble to the surface of your mind when you least expect
it. Ride the waves crashing into the rocky shores. With further
development Chosen is a name we could be hearing more of. |
Oh,
the treasure I have found in the intensity, musicianship and overall
sound of my Irish metal brothers, Chosen. There must be something
in the whiskey over there because I’m seriously impressed.
Chosen hails from Dublin, Ireland, and plays a slightly more progressive-than-normal
type of death metal mixed with what feels like just a little influence
of Lamb of God style American metal at times.
I say this with complete honesty, Chosen’s new album, ‘Resolution’,
has a little bit of something for everyone. I posted about these
guys last month in advance of the album being released for free
saying they are similar to Gojira only better (and with some obvious
influence from Cynic and Death) and after hearing the album in
its entirety, I confirm that statement with one caveat; the whole
album sounds less like Gojira and more like a band with their
own thing happening. Hell, I would put them closer to Obscura
than Gojira now that I think about it.
I could make a whole big argument about why you should buy this
album, but I’m not going to… because they’re GIVING
IT AWAY FOR FREE. This is the first band in a very long time I
feel strongly about and if nothing else, I ask you to scroll down
and listen to the new record in its entirety. If you like it,
download it for free. You literally have nothing to lose by giving
these guys a shot.
My review of Chosen’s ‘Resolution?’ It’s fucking
awesome. There are a couple of choices musically that I might
not have ‘chosen’ myself (see what I did there?), but
then if I had, it would be my band and not theirs. Do yourself
a favor and get on board with Chosen now. I can’t wait to
see this shit live. [4.5/5] |
Resolution
is one of this year’s most generous gifts to extreme and
experimental metal, such is the quality and stature of the debut
album from Irish metallers Chosen. The release is sensational,
a primal predator of scintillating imagination and exhaustingly
pleasing invention. Having missed out on their earlier EPs, this
is an introduction to the site which has left us open mouthed
in awe and drooling in passion at the immense violation of extreme
excellence.
Cast as for fans of the likes of Nevermore, Gojira, Cynic, and
Death, the album shows the band pulls far beyond limitations with
their sound and surely anyone with an adventure for stylish and
senses stretching hunger in their music will find a feast with
Resolution. Formed in 2005 by Paul Shields (vocals/guitars) and
David McCann (drums/percussion) as teenagers, Chosen crafted a
strong fanbase for their uniquely sculpted and intrusive sound
with the metal community in their homeland. Releasing a number
of independent and well-received demos as well as acclaimed live
shows around Ireland, the band then went through a number of line-up
changes. In 2008 the founding pair relocated to Vancouver for
a successful year which included a Canada-wide tour, as well as
playing a unique tribute gig to the late Chuck Schuldiner, before
returning home in 2009 to record their debut album. On their return
the band was reduced to just the pair as members quit which led
to the project taking an undefined hiatus.
Shields and McCann eventually came together to move forward by
pushing on with the recording of the album and entered the studio
with producer Alwyn Walker to lay down the frame for the release
whilst also looking for other musicians to bring in. Though successful
on both counts the band was reduced to just the pair again, so
the decision was made to complete the album just by themselves
with Walker, Shields taking over vocal and bass duties too. From
that journey what has emerged is an album which explores and ignites
the senses and imagination for a furnace of blistering and uncompromising
invention, a release which is like a sonic puppeteer leading thoughts
and passions on a collision of riveting ingenuity, technical mastery,
and unbridled confrontation.
The release opens on a jungle of rhythms from McCann, their lure
irresistible as the guitar of Shields offers a veil of mystique
to the start of ‘Engines of Belief’. It is mere breaths
lengths of time before the track ravages the ear with tumultuous
rhythms and equally demanding riffs whilst further guitar manipulation
skirts the senses and twists their thoughts with increasingly
devilish designs. The harsh guttural squalls ride the intensity
with gusto and venom whilst the clean vocals support their weight
with magnetism as potent as the invention now rife within the
fury of a track. It is a staggering start which claws at and gnaws
upon the synapses with unexpected brilliance, a colossal fire
of enterprise brought through greedy brutality.
Could the release from such a start prevent an antic-climax steeping
forward next was the first thought but ‘Defective Prospection’
and ‘The Narcissism Epidemic’ both took no time in making
the wonderment moot, such is their oppressive and inventive confrontations.
Certainly the first of the pair does not find the same plateau
of brilliance as its predecessor but still delivers an expanse
of provocative investigation whilst the second song from its delicious
acoustic lined welcome and emotive ambience steps into a maelstrom
of ferocious inventive charges and a scintillating merger of melodic
beauty and carnal savagery. It is a brilliant track rivalling
the starter and again sending creative shock waves across thoughts
and sparking thick ardour for it and the album.
The outstanding ‘Diminishment’ with its mesmeric melodic
peace veined by raptorial rhythmic persistence and bestial admonishment
of the senses exchanging and entwining their pure hearts, and
the equally thrilling ‘Instinct’ with its Meshuggah
spiced rugged textures and rhythmic spite, both sear new heights
upon passions and the release whilst ‘Asch’s Paradigm’
is a song which initially inspires a bedlam bred sinister air
before evolving into a tempest of corrosive beauty and seductive
severity. The second of the three is a psyche twisted progressive
intrigue with imagination to its cryptic fascination and a destructive
onslaught vocally and musically unleashed whilst ‘Asch’s
Paradigm’ is a malevolent tight wrap of blood boiling intensity
persuaded to share its time with melodic elegance and wanton temptation.
The closing pair of ‘Metaphysical Contradiction’ and
‘The Departure Lounge’ seals the branding deal upon
the heart with in the case of the first a conflict of balance
disrupting sonic dissidence and the closer through an irresistible
initial death metal ravishing with djent punctuation moving on
to open up arms of melodic acidity and warmth. As it began and
admittedly continued through every moment, Resolution ends on
the loftiest pinnacles. The album is pure ingenuity and raging
inventive passion to inspire the same potency in the reactions
and emotions of the listener. Chosen is a tsunami waiting to happen
for European metal and their album is not only one of the very
best this year but of the past decade, and there is no reason
to miss out either as the self-released album is available as
a ‘Name Your Own Price’ download and also in a Deluxe
Special Edition or a Collector’s Edition CD. [10/10] |
This
Irish band comes waltzing into the metal world with no fanfare
or expectations and manages to hugely surprise me with a thoroughly
professional and compelling slab of modern extreme metal that
can stand with the biggest names in the genre. A two-man outfit,
Chosen is working the same general territory as Meshuggah and
Fear Factory, but with added atmosphere and progression from influences
like Nevermore and Opeth. For once, the press sheet describes
them exactly right.
Looking at these two modest gentlemen, you would expect something
more along the lines of Shinedown, but looks are deceiving! They
unleash some furious and inventive staccato riffing that will
pound your brain remorselessly. The production values here are
shockingly advanced and offer final proof that independent metal
can sound as good as anything coming from Nuclear Blast or Century
Media. The vocals are all over the map but mostly are of the raw,
screaming kind. ‘Defective Prospection’ emerges as one
of my fave tracks because of the unusual vocal approach which
is hard to properly describe... not exactly harsh, but not ‘normal’
either.
Sometimes
Chosen’s resemblance to Fear Factory is uncanny, especially
on ‘Asch’s Paradigm’, when there is an amazing
clean vocal chorus over soaring industrial riffing that could
have come straight from ‘Demanufacture’. Maybe it is
not original, but when you meet or surpass your inspiration, the
point is moot. The band tends towards the epic and adds many atmospheric
or subdued parts to add dimension to their sound. But each track
is dominated by hammering metal. If
this band doesn’t get signed by a good independent metal
label, it is a crime against music. For a debut release, ‘Resolution’
is a phenomenal start. |
It’s rare in the music industry nowadays to create something
new and different. It’s even rarer when this happens and
it’s good. The majority of new bands out there and new musical
acts are just recycled versions of what’s already been. Irish
metallers Chosen may not be completely innovative, they may not
be game-changers, but their latest album, Resolution, is definitely
a different take on metal.
It’s gritty, it’s heavy, it’s riff-loaded - it’s
got it all. There’s that tiny undertone of Irish heritage
and traditional Irish music just beneath the surface and if you
listen, you’ll hear it. However, if it was a little more
dominant and prominent it would add to the effect - the album
does lose some steam toward the end but it’s not enough to
take away from the overall experience. Overall, Resolution is
a great album and an impressive record. Chosen could easily pick
up steam in the States because, lately, a lot of the metal has
been blending together and fans are itching for something fresh
and new. [8/10] |
Ireland’s Chosen may be a new name, but the band actually
formed in 2005 and put out several EPs before disbanding in 2009
after two of its members moved to Canada. In 2011 the two remaining
members decided to revive the group, but instead of finding new
members to fill the gap they remained a duo. The resulting album
that has resulted from this new version of Chosen is entitled
Resolution and has been offered as a free/pay what you want download
as well as an enhanced physical edition. It’s a well-produced
effort that offers a surprising amount of variation, and if you’re
a fan of modern extreme metal you should check these guys out.
The primary genre that Chosen pulls from throughout their album
is melodic death metal with a slight hint of metalcore, but they
add a lot of different elements over the top of this base that
give each of these songs a slightly different feel. In addition
to the type of heavy hitting, melodically tinged leads that are
typical for the style, the instrumentals also incorporate some
Meshuggah sounding grooves and much heavier, technical sections
that have a more traditional death metal feel. Although the group
has gone for longer tracks with each of the nine spanning five
minutes or longer, it never feels as though any of the ideas are
repeated for too long and everything fits together naturally.
I was also impressed by how well produced this effort is, as sometimes
when a band offers a release for free it has a demo recording
quality to it but Resolution is just as highly polished and aggressive
as anything else you’ll hear in this genre.
Paul Shields handles all of the main vocal work on this release,
although the band did bring in a guest singer for a few moments
to provide some additional harmony. Shields alternates between
a rough scream/growl and clean singing, and while I know listeners
tend to be fairly divided when it comes to clean vocals in this
genre he pulls it off in a way that feels powerful and is well
suited to the group’s overall sound. I have to admit that
the higher pitched screaming style seemed like it could become
repetitive fairly easily, so the fact that Chosen went for clean
breaks on a regular basis really helped to break things up and
maintain a strong performance.
Resolution has quite a few standout moments, and Chosen really
seems to encompass a little bit of every style when it comes to
the modern extreme metal world. The fact that the group has been
willing to put a release this polished out there for potentially
free consumption is an incredibly nice gesture as well, and hopefully
it will help to get their name out there and lead to further opportunities.
I’m excited to see where this duo will go from here, as they
definitely seem to have ambition when it comes to songwriting
and there are still plenty of elements that could be further explored. |
I
really dig bands that fuse musical elements and thus become a
poly-hybrid entity. In this case the band in question goes under
the moniker of Chosen and originally hailing from Ireland. Right
from the hop though, the duo of Paul Shields (vocals/guitars)
and David McCann (drums/percussion) are a formidable combo, crafting
solid musicianship into an aesthetic of many extremes. They rely
heavily on crushing grooves, progressive death metal and polyrhythmic
tones to create a distinct sound of dissonance.
At times I recall Meshuggah, Lamb of God, Death and perhaps a
dash of Arsis. Although, Chosen is far from being a mere copy
of those bands listed here, but instead fuel their core sound
with well-crafted arrangements and some stunning riffing to put
hair on your chest. They have previously released 4 EPs and now
are set to release their debut full length Resolution for metal
fans who want their music pushing the boundaries and extending
the limits of what is acceptable in the field of melodic death
metal.
Resolution is brimming with top-notch performances through and
through, while remaining entirely fresh from beginning to end.
The relentless approach to tracks like ‘Mental Clarity’,
‘Instinct’ and ‘Metaphysical Contradiction’
anchor this debut with a fierce proclamation to usher in something
completely different. Clocking in at nearly an hour’s length,
you won’t find commercial, sterile metal, but instead music
that is refreshing and strives to give melodic death metal a shot
in the arm. Even the final track on this release ‘The Departure
Lounge’ chugs along and is interspersed with chunks full
of multi-layered rhythms. The melodic parts kick in about halfway
through and it just makes for an interesting listen.
As a duo, Shields and McCann merge uniquely into a singular unit
that provides skill, originality and aggression into their core
sound. There seemingly doesn’t appear to be a weak song in
the bunch and this will make their debut a noteworthy release
for a band wanting to be more than the sum of their parts. Surely
melodic death metal is the best way to categorize their style,
but Chosen strives to be something else and that’s a good
thing. [5/5] |
Irish
metal. Sounds like one of those Starburst contradiction commercials
doesn’t it? Here in the States, speaking on my own encounters,
Irish metal bands are pretty uncommon. My first thought when I
heard ‘Irish metal’ was Celtic meets Metallica, and
then I listened to Chosen’s newest album ‘Resolution’
and any previous idea of what Irish metal sounded like was completely
dismantled.
Chosen is an experimental/progressive metal band that has been
rocking the metal world since 2005. They combine extreme metal
with bone crushing heaviness along with some added flares to deliver
a sound any metal fan will surely love. The most impressive thing
of all is that they’re a duo. ‘Resolution’ is a
9 track album that’ll take just under an hour to listen the
whole way through. To start things off, the band has chosen (bad
pun, moving on) to come out swinging with ‘Engines of Belief’.
The five and a half minute song shows exactly what the band is
capable of - fast paced riffs, explosive drumming, heavy breakdowns,
relentless screams, and magnificent clean vocals.
The guitar work all throughout the album is simply incredible;
fast paced, intricate, melodic, and all around heavy. There are
some slightly off-beat chugs throughout the album which just add
variety and make the songs that much more enjoyable. There are
also some acoustic parts laced throughout the album such as at
the beginning of ‘The Narcissism Epidemic’. These parts
accent the album beautifully and break up the heavy sound briefly
enough to make the heavier parts stand out even more.
The drumming on ‘Resolution’ is definitely top notch
as well. It’s more than just your standard metal drumming.
There’s speed, there’s insane fills, and there’s
incredible cymbal work which accent the guitar work in perfect
places. The vocals on this album are just amazing. The screams
remind me of Jens Kidman of the infamous Meshuggah. They’re
harsh, relentless, and fit the music style incredibly well. The
cleans also fit in very well and add a sort of eerie feeling to
the songs. They aren’t under-utilized, but they’re not
used in excess either which makes them that much better.
My favorites off the album are the first track ‘Engines of
Belief’, the second track ‘Defective Perception’,
and the seventh track ‘Asch’s Paradigm’. These
three tracks really stand out from the rest, but there isn’t
a bad song on the album. All in all, ‘Resolution’ is
an incredible album that deserves recognition worldwide. I definitely
am on the lookout for more Irish metal after experiencing what
Chosen brings to the table. [4/5] |
Irish
progressive death metal duo Chosen have been around since 2005,
releasing a handful of EPs and generally honing their chops in
preparation for the release of their debut full-length, Resolution.
Their hard work has paid off, as Resolution is a self-assured
release that showcases a confident marshalling of the band’s
influences as well as an individual voice.
Those influences manifest themselves in various ways - from the
Gojira-esque screeching pick scrapes in ‘Defective Prospection’,
to the Cynic-al vocal effects subtly incorporated into parts of
‘Mental Clarity’, by way of the strongly Opethian vibe
conjured by album highlight ‘The Narcissism Epidemic’
(and throughout vocalist/guitarist Paul Shields’ deathlier
vocals in general).
Throughout Resolution, Chosen do a great job of melding modern,
djent-inflected rhythmic bludgeon and metalcore-esque chugging
breakdowns with more languidly melodic and looser forms of prog,
also balancing barking, harsh vocals with equally effective clean
tones - meaning that there’s something in Resolution for
Meshuggah worshippers and aficionados of less stridently aggressive
progressive music alike. [4.5/5] |
I have heard some extreme metal from the oddest of places across
our huge planet. That always shows how global metal has become
and now Ireland is in on it, and we as a group are happy about
it. This band started in the islands of Ireland, travelling to
Vancouver in Canada to continue and then back to the Emerald Isles,
losing two members in the process. Now as a duo, this band unleash
a metallic barrage that shapes its thunder by using all sorts
of metal in the making. Death, thrash, groove and even metalcore
all are used and lovingly mashed together to come out as how Chosen
has ‘chosen’ it to be.
This
sort of metal is not my cup of tea normally but there were some
amazing songs laying just in wait for me, much to my surprise.
I was impressed with the track ‘Engines of Belief’ with
its controlled frenetic riff and angry metalcore vocals that seemed
to urge it all along with this wall of a blistering attack. Equally
as chaotic, ‘Mental Clarity’ puts how this band is right
in your face. Some of the vocals tend to get lost in the mix but
with metalcore, it always seemed that way. But yet, that is the
icing on this extreme metal cake. This is one of the few bands
that have made it come alive for me, a true accomplishment you
can tell. I would love to see this band with a straight metal
vocalist with an alternative twist to his or her voice but I can
more than live with it just like it is on the album. Chosen might
not be your normal listen but it is worth spending the just under
an hour to hear it. I took a chance, and loved my ‘Chosen’
time.
[9/10] |
Considered
by many to be a melodic death metal act, Ireland’s Chosen
are clearly more than that - combining nu-metal aesthetics with
polished and at times technical deathcore - particularly in the
vocal angst of Paul Shields who provides the often epileptic guitar
grind alongside percussionist David McCann. I have to admit to
not being a fan of this sort of overtly modern style of metal,
but thankfully there is enough going on here to keep me interested,
the duo opting for a seemingly multi-layered experience that combines
unusual experimentalism with crushing weight.
Album opener ‘Engines of Belief’ is a prime example
of the Chosen’s flexibility as they drift between a crisp
and well-structured style of modern death metal fused with soaring
melody, as Shields drifts between harsh bleats and ascending wails
that wouldn’t seem out of place on a Slipknot record. Elsewhere,
the band come up trumps with the thrashing chug of ‘Defective
Prospection’, a battering ram of a track injected by those
almost calming vocals. My favourite track on the record is ‘The
Narcissism Epidemic’, a sweeping, brooding mini-masterpiece
that drifts by on acoustic guitar and haunting melody, evoking
images of strange sadness and ice cold melancholy before being
cut short abruptly by those punishing riffs and guttural rasps.
Chosen are certainly a band that is hard to pin down, so fluent
are they in whatever styles they chose. There is clearly a Faith
No More influence here, especially in those jarring chords and
melodies which refuse to remain calm, the complexity at times
hinting at the joyous, jazzed-up surrealism of Cynic, while the
weight toils with mid-90s death metal (think Meshuggah and the
like). The band are clearly very talented musicians, masters at
unpredictability and champions at discordant dynamics. Just check
out the grating ‘Instinct’ with its barbed-wire drums
and bone-jerking structures, and if you’re still not convinced
by the devilry then dare yourself to dive into the pummelling
realm of ‘Asch’s Paradigm’, possibly the most inviting
track on the opus with those crystal clear vocal swoons.
Chosen are more than happy to wield together industrial-tinged
metal with surreal soundscapes that are quickly erased by those
juggernaut guitars. The last time I heard something akin to Chosen
was the bizarre experience of Austria’s Korovakill and their
2001 Waterhells opus, and while Resolution is a more straight
forward affair, these guys are clearly not afraid to dabble with
the avant-garde. Despite the crisp production and glimmering dynamics,
this is still a mysterious affair that at once is able to grate
on the soul while caressing it at the same time. I look forward
to more from these ambitious Irishmen. Give me this over U2 any
day! [8/10] |
From
our fruitful yet unfortunately under-used promos bin, we bring
you today the debut album ‘Resolution’ by the Irish
group Chosen. My experience with Irish bands has many good memories
thanks to the fine works of Primordial and Altar of Plagues, so
I approached Chosen with an air of optimism. As soon as ‘Resolution’
started, the opening track ‘Engines of Belief’ planted
the Irish flag firm and deep in my mind. The track starts with
a thirty-six second introductory segment (in 6/4 as is customary)
that easily tops any Irish melody you’ll get from Primordial.
It’s an amazing beginning to a very impressive album from
these debutants and it proves that these lads have lots of tricks
up their collective sleeves.
‘Resolution’ churns on with confidence and technical
dexterity for fifty-four minutes. The first spin of the record
will have you hooked to the more obvious parts, like the aforementioned
intro or the catchy chorus on ‘Asch’s Paradigm’.
As you dig deeper though, you’ll find more gems slowly appearing
in the foreground and grabbing your attention, like the ferocious
triplet guitar patterns on ‘The Narcissism Epidemic’
and the forceful transition from clean to harsh vocals on ‘Defective
Prospection’. In many instances, I felt that the guitar sounds
a bit like Meshuggah’s Thordendal and Hagström in tone,
while some of the riffs had me thinking of Chuck Schuldiner’s.
There’s obviously a wide range of influences on display here,
but they are fused together with some originality to produce this
impressive result. The production job here is one that deserves
a tip of the hat. With all the intense drumming on this record
and the continuous variations in riff moods, the end result came
out very balanced indeed. This is a very ambitious debut from
a talented duo that showcases their various influences from the
extreme metal world while adding a bit of character to the mix.
‘Resolution’ comes highly recommended to all fans of
extreme metal and fans of the progressive metal world that are
open to a bit more brutality than the genre’s norm. Oh by
the way, these guys are also nice enough to put this album up
for free download on their website. Now you have no reason not
to listen to it. [7.5/10] |
What
I have for you today is a duo that sounds like a 12-piece band.
Heavier than hell and groovier than the half-naked drunk girl
dancing at the bar (trust me, that’s a whole lot of groovy).
Chosen are transplants from Ireland that ended up in Vancouver
with a sound that is crushing in volume and deep in songwriting
and musicianship. Resolution is my first taste of the band and
I literally can’t get enough of it. We see nine tracks that
are blistering in their approach while at the same time have the
substance to listen to time and time again. Much like a good movie
you will pick something new up every time you press play. Instead
of going on like a high Slipknot fan let me talk about some specific
tracks:
The track ‘Diminishment’ is a great piece of production
aside from the merits of the song. The kicks are constant and
become blended into the plodding parts of the song. The breakouts
bring the drums back to normal levels that steer some very grungy
guitars and vocals. There is a definite influence of Gojira involved
with the layout of this song, but in a much more subtle way. ‘Metaphysical
Contradiction’ has an amazing lead in that it shows some
true instrumental passion. There is literally so many genres of
metal blended into the first two minutes of this song I couldn’t
begin to list them here. Not only that; we hear the blending of
completely other genres of music throughout the song. I even wrote
“is that Spanish?” in my notes. The songwriting was
risky and it paid off. As for ‘Mental Clarity’ you just
need to hear it. All the press material mentions Chosen’s
sound in comparison to Meshuggah and I swore I wouldn’t,
but with the groove and catchiness I really have no choice. I
can’t get enough of this song.
I’m one of those people that become very ecstatic over finding
new material that is really tremendous and something I personally
want to listen to time and time again. The album drops on March
30th and I highly encourage you to make this purchase. You will
be getting in on the ground floor of extreme legends in the making!
As for the obvious Irish reference I have to make: “I went
over the metal rainbow and found a pot of gold that melted my
pale Canadian skin off”. Sorry boys, had to be done! [8/10] |
I’ll
be honest and say I’ve never heard of these lads and to try
and find out info on them was pretty taxing, but after some trolling
on the net, I was rewarded with their website details. Anyway,
onwards and in to the depth of metal I go. They say and I quote
“drawing influence from distinctive groups such as Death,
Meshuggah, Gojira, Cynic, and Nevermore” which may or may
not be accurate. I know it’s easier if you know where a band’s
metal roots lie before you listen, to give you an idea of what
to expect, but I like the surprise of that first listen. However
the Nevermore influence is more apparent to me than anything else;
their sound of epic, melodic, almost doom style riffs in a traditional
sound, but without the vocals. Chosen have added more impact to
the vocals and I suppose in more keeping with Meshuggah and Gojira,
which would round up that assessment of sound. Anyway I’m
here to add my own angle to what this band has to offer rather
than the similarities to their influences and if you listen to
this album without any previous knowledge of the aforementioned
influences, be prepared to have your world rocked.
Resolution fucking rocks! That is all that needs to be said on
the music sense. Perhaps acknowledgement should be paid to the
Irish duo that created it, but we’ll assume they get that
from the praise the album is receiving here. It’s a fine
compendium of riffs, drums, guttural vocals, mixed to a sweet
perfection of momentous ear bashing. The production is very well
executed and the mix sees the layering of instruments to give
a nice wall of sound. If I were to equate this band to anyone
or another album it would be Paradise Lost and in particular,
their Draconian Times album. How’s that for specifics and
I fucking love that album, but Chosen have a more modern sound
about them, a polished edge in the metal world that is both heavier
and more technical than the Paradise Lost album, but gives you
an idea. In summary then; it’s Irish, it’s heavy and
it’s metal and you need nothing more to sit back and have
the grey matter dusted off with some chunky riffs and eloquent
metal mastery. [4/5] |
Chosen
is an Irish melodic death metal band and ‘Resolution’
is their full-length debut. The band also has a number of well-received
EPs dating back to 2005. Well this was certainly a nice surprise.
I can always count on Jon Asher of Asher Media Relations to send
me some great new metal bands that I’ve not heard before,
and damn if he hasn’t done it again. The album kicks off
with such a rich and clear production that I immediately sat up
and took notice before the guy even started singing. This is the
kind of production I always hope for when I put on a new album.
I bow down in appreciation before whoever engineered this album.
Based on the wonderfully detailed bio sheet I received, I believe
that must be Alwyn Walker and Westland Studios in Dublin. Mighty
hails!
This
is not your typical melodic death metal album. The album is built
on a foundation of melodic death metal, but at the very least
one has to acknowledge a bit of progressive as well. I’m
not going to speculate any further than that, you will just have
to hear the album to understand how much more than ‘melodic
death metal’ this album is. All this wonderfully lush and
full sounding music was created by just two guys; Paul Shields
handles the vocals and guitars, while David McCann does the drums
and percussion. I cannot overstate how impressed I am with ‘Resolution’.
This is a top-notch metal release that damn well better get heaps
of praise from the metal press this year. Anything less would
be an embarrassment to metal reviewers the world over. |
Chosen
haven’t had a straight forward run at creating their debut
album. In their earliest incarnation the band released a trio
of demos entitled ‘Fragment - Piece I, II, and III’
as well as a few other promos. But ironically this particular
line-up would indeed fragment, leading to the formation
and evolution of two very different bands. The sludge/doom styled
Two Tales of Woe and the melodic death metal duo that is the current
Chosen. And as much as I loved those early releases at the time
and still do today, I don’t think I could have envisaged
that particular line-up to have ever gone on to create this ‘Resolution’
album.
Persistent line-up troubles delayed the first stages of this album’s
recording process to the point that the band actually called it
quits at one point. But the core members of guitarist Paul Shields
and drummer Dave McCann still had a hunger in them and to their
testament decided to complete what they had started a few years
earlier and resurrected the band again. The decision was eventually
made for Shields to handle guitar, bass and vocals in order to
complete the recordings; a wise decision that will hopefully pay
huge dividends for them.
‘Engines of Belief’ is the band’s opening statement
of intent. And right from the off it’s clear that Shields
and McCann mean business. The tribal, almost Celtic drumming and
acoustic intro suddenly gives way to razor sharp riffs and caustic
vocals, while the melodic clean sung chorus counteracts the overall
intensity nicely. It’s quickly followed by ‘Defective
Prospection’. The rapid-fire intro initially brings to mind
Fear Factory or Strapping Young Lad and the vocals are more varied
here also alternating nicely between clean and death styles. But
it’s the third track ‘The Narcissism Epidemic’
where the band really starts to spread their prog/tech metal wings
a little. The understated acoustic intro lures you in with its
rich and comforting guitar tone before you’re jarred back
to reality with a magnificent crushing riff and pummelling drums.
The Opeth influence at times is unmistakable as the track weaves
in and out between melodic, clean sung and superb harsh-throated
metallic sections. Quite simply, the track is a masterpiece!
The quality of the songwriting and musicianship doesn’t let
up once for the duration. There are flurries of prog and dare
I say “djent” dotted all over the album, as well as
glorious moments of outright metal fury on tracks like ‘Asch’s
Paradigm’ and ‘Instinct’ with a killer riff that
simply lays waste to everything within speaker range. And yet
all the while they manage to maintain a perfect balance between
the crushing metal weight on one side and the opposing melodic,
mellower on the other end of the spectrum, with penultimate track
‘Metaphysical Contradiction’ being a perfect example
of this. Album closer ‘The Departure Lounge’ is another
powerhouse as riffs and blast-beats are hurled hard and fast and
again you’re steered through a technical obstacle course
of tempo changes and vocal ranges. A perfect finish that will
leave you begging for more!
The range of influences on offer is breath-taking. You can hear
classic prog/death elements of bands like Atheist, Death and Opeth
as well as the crushing intensity of Meshuggah throughout the
entire nine tracks on offer. And most importantly the two lads
have the chops to match the quality and musicianship of the aforementioned
legendary groups. On the one hand they utilise straight up death
metal and then in a blink you’re side-swiped with displays
of simple melodic clarity or a battery of technical riffs and
drumming.
Production courtesy of the ever impressive Alwyn Walker is easily
one of the best I’ve heard from him. And that’s saying
a lot given his track record. With this particular album and the
latest releases he’s helmed for Dichotomy and Atheos, he’s
set the bar very high indeed for underground Irish metal in general. |
The
debut full length release ‘Resolution’, from Irish death
metal duo Chosen follows a series of well received EPs since their
inception in 2005. The album stands as a testament to their sheer
perseverance which has paid off against the odds. The band moved
from Ireland to Canada and back again, losing two members in the
process yet still managing to produce an album of an exceptional
standard. It’s innovative, with a high standard of musicianship
throughout and with tracks which are well-crafted and inventive
in their composition. The sound is rich, multi-layered, and at
times crushingly heavy using a broad range of elements from the
full spectrum of extreme metal. The vocals, both harsh and clean,
are excellent, which is something I am always highly critical
about. The resulting album I found to be a truly refreshing and
inspiring piece of work.
Powerful Celtic influenced drum work opens ‘Engines of Belief’
and the first thing I noticed was the impressively full sound.
There is also a good balance between the clean and harsh vocals.
The sheer intensity to the drum and guitar work on ‘Defective
Prospection’ almost overpowers your senses and is such a
great track. There is a long melodic and haunting intro of almost
two minutes before the more intense elements kick in on ‘The
Narcissism Epidemic’. The frequent interchange between melodic
and extreme, clever construction and use of varied tempo keeps
you fully engaged for the whole seven and a half minutes. A sinister
opener on ‘Mental Clarity’ is followed by a technical
groove that runs throughout and is mixed with chugging riffs.
Chosen are a band that are not afraid to reach across all genres
of metal to mix and match in interesting ways and that works so
well for them. This is fully evident from the mix of elements
incorporated into this and other tracks.
There is a very appealing and extreme contrast between the gentle
elements set against the harsh vocals and chugging groove on ‘Diminishment’.
The drum work is superb, as on all tracks, but really adds so
much here as it seems to bring a darker edge to the quieter moments.
On ‘Instinct’ there is a sexy little djent groove happening;
add to that chugging, soaring riffs and a fabulous little solo
midway and what you have is an excellent track. A quiet, yet sinister
sound-scape opens into a gritty spiralling and chugging groove
that is catchy and addictive on ‘Asch’s Paradigm’.
On ‘Metaphysical Contradiction’, groups of hypnotic
repeat riffs add a dark, intense feel. Along with a couple of
great tempo and direction changes the track grabs your interest
and delivers a real feel of turmoil and conflict. The strong djent
groove that is mixed with dark riffs gives an intense and frantic
feel to the extended intro on ‘The Departure Lounge’.
The respite from this intensity comes from the clean vocal chorus.
In the final minute you are released from its grasp as the track
gently fades away forming a great end to an excellent album.
Resolution is an excellent album from beginning to end and at
times, is an absolute face ripper. I was completely blown away
by it; these guys are hugely talented and deserve every success
form this and once you have gotten your free download and heard
just how good it is you should then go and buy the album. You
won’t be disappointed. [5/5] |
After
a turbulent history of transatlantic relocations, break-ups, reunions
and hiatuses, the Irish extreme metal act Chosen are finally ready
to release their debut full-length ‘Resolution’. And,
chances are that the album will enjoy much success among fans
of the more tech/prog-oriented type of extreme metal. While
not insanely technical, Chosen’s nine tracks on the album
are nonetheless quite progressively oriented and definitely belong
to the more sophisticated end of the extreme metal continuum.
Drawing
on both death metal and djent-thrash with a slight touch of metalcore
and melodic death metal, ‘Resolution’ is a rather eclectic
album and may be compared to as diverse artists as Death, Atheist,
In Flames, Nevermore, and Opeth. And all of this is wrapped in
Meshuggah-esque grooves. Although inspirations from these and
other artists may be traced throughout the album, ‘Resolution’
stands on its own as an original work of art. A major attraction
point is the Irish duo’s talent for writing crushingly heavy
riffs that punch you in the gut and leave you breathless, while
your mind is being challenged by the progressive aspect of their
music.
The
Irish duo’s musicianship is top notch, and the production
is clean and well-defined, but not too polished. The vocals are
primarily harsh and lean more towards metalcore-informed screaming
than towards guttural growls, and while nowhere near as annoying
as all out screamo hysteria, this is a vocal style that might
not appeal to all fans of death metal. I have no problems with
it, though. There are also clean vocals every now and then, which
add a melodic feel to the album. In
all, ‘Resolution’ is an artistically successful, and
quite original, opus of progressively oriented and sophisticated
extreme metal which combines the progressiveness of the likes
of Death, Atheist, and Opeth with the crushing grooves of Meshuggah
into a riff-driven metallic onslaught which offers both fuel for
your fire and food for your thoughts. [4/5] |
Extreme
metal is not my area of expertise. I dabbled briefly in the world
of metal when I was around 17, but apart from a few bands it never
really appealed to me, and I can honestly say it still doesn’t.
Chosen
are an Irish duo who formed in 2005. The band’s latest effort
‘Resolution’ fuses heavy riffs with absolutely furious
vocals. It has breakdowns, some nice softly sung bits and then
it’s back to the unrelenting heaviness of it all.
Opener
‘Engines of Belief’ is the perfect example of what to
expect throughout the course of ‘Resolution’. It’s
crushingly heavy, and frankly a little unbelievable that this
all comes from just two people. Second
track ‘Defective Prospection’ is probably my highlight.
It shows the absolute proficiency of the band at all the instruments
they play, combines this with their obvious love of the genre
to create an interesting take on something that is often stale.
The
record continues on in a similar fashion. There are few let ups
though, as every time you think there will be a chance to breathe
it knocks you back down again. The band are undoubtedly extremely
talented, and for a genre I can’t usually stand, ‘Resolution’
is actually pretty good. I don’t have a very large frame
of reference to work with here, but if I had to say who Chosen
are similar to, it would be Between The Buried And Me. The songs
are sprawling, interesting and technical. It’s not something
I would choose to listen to on a daily basis, but I would certainly
listen to it again.
Overall
Chosen have written a crushingly heavy record with ‘Resolution’.
One that is completely unrelenting yet interesting and not a slave
to the constraints of a tired genre, where nearly every band sounds
like carbon copies of one another. The production here is top
notch; the guitars especially sound great. They have such an oppressive
tone that makes you really take notice of the band and what they
are doing. ‘Resolution’ was a pleasant surprise for
me, and I will certainly be keeping an eye on Chosen in the future.
[3.5/5] |
Chosen
hail from Dublin, Ireland and were formed in 2005. Since that
time there’s been four EPs and one demo released. There has
also been line-up changes and a brief period in which the band
took a breather. On ‘Resolution’, the band’s debut
full-length release, there’s a lot going on sound-wise for
this to be just two guys. Even so, the band really has been stripped
down to just Paul Shields (vocals/guitars) and David McCann (drums/percussion).
‘Resolution’, which was produced by Alwyn Walker, opens
with ‘Engines of Belief’. The band is offering the song
as a free download and, trust me ladies and gentlemen when I say
this, the rest of the album’s 8 cuts are just as good as
this heavy, percussion-laden, death metal thrasher.
This duo takes the groove of Meshuggah and mixes it with the progressive
death metal of bands like Cynic and Atheist. Speaking of Atheist,
who were such an inventive band themselves, Chosen captures the
listener’s attention early on and easily holds it with their
own take on progressive/jazz-infused death/thrash. Having the
above influences, which also range on ‘Resolution’ from
Death to Nevermore, is one thing. The true mark of a veteran act
is taking those influences and building your own band from the
bottom up into something uniquely your own. On some level the
sound of Chosen is familiar and yet, through their creative use
of rhythmic drumming, progressive chord arrangements (and even
acoustic passages), the music on ‘Resolution’ is refreshingly
original.
The record, which I enthusiastically recommend, is quite heavy
and brutal, but it’s also surprising warm and inviting. There
are so many different elements to these 9 tracks that I found
myself returning to for repeated listens before I even sat down
to do this write-up. Had Chosen released ‘Resolution’
back in the late eighties/early nineties I have no doubt they
would be held in the same high regard as bands like Atheist and
Cynic. This album challenges the listener to hand themselves fully
over to the music and to simply let the ride take you where it
chooses. As it’s being offered in several different versions,
fans have a few options. No matter which version of this album
you pick up it’s the music that matters and this Irish duo
has created a near perfect progressive death album! |
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