ELEMENT - NEW Myspace tracks reviewed

We reviewed Lancashire heavyweights Element before and... well we were a bit harsh. You can check out our previous review in the archives section, but don't judge them by our words of reviews past, judge 'em instead on the strength of their latest batch of tunes!

We've kept in touch with Element since our previous review, they didn't take it too personally, and when they said they had new material, we promised to give it a chance. We're damn glad we did. What we have this time around from Element massively ups the bar in terms of quality, performance, melody and sheer musical power. I'm not even gonna compare the new stuff to the old, 'cos frankly it's like these guys have completely reinvented themselves.

Hugely powerful performances that thunder through your speakers and threaten to give you whiplash that'll hospitalize you for a week, solid playing from Rob, Chow and Alex coupled with Adam's much-improved vocals growling away, you'll be playing this til your ears buckle under the onslaught. Taking their musical influences from, amongst others, Metallica, Machine Head, Pantera, Sepultura, Alice In Chains, Megadeth, ACDC, and Lynard Skynard, they pay homage to all yet emlulate none, instead forging a sound that's pure modern and purely original.

Standout track: We can't pick one! No fair! ALL of 'em on their Myspace are absolute top tunes. Ok... we'll pick "Bleed On My Own" as our stand-out track, but only just. And we'll pick "Downfall" too. Soddit, ALL OF THEM are great! Speaking of "bleed", we're amazed Chow's got any fingers left after attacking those strings. Rob's drumming is tight, powerful and pounding, while Alex's bass thunders along underscoring each track. It's Adam's strong vocals surfing the crest of this heavy-weapon onslaught, a Northern-accented Hetfield with the skills to match that Stateside legend, complemented with hints of the great Phil Anselmo. Speaking of which, right now there's a stunning live cover of Pantera's "Heresy" up there on Myspace, check it out NOW! We recommend seeing these guys live, check out their Myspace for dates to be announced soon.

*update* In June, Element released their debut album on Vibes Records, and you can order it right now if you like what you hear (and you damn well should!) here: vibesrecords.co.uk/

NoiseMatters rated: (5.5/5)