By Sara Pintilie/entertainment editor
Within Chaos Virulent (3.5 stars)
Texas’s own Within Chaos has released its first major label album, Virulent.
The album is a medley of old school thrash and riffs that vaguely sound like something from a Guns N’ Roses album.
Though it might not be for the top 40 crowd, it is a menacing album but doesn’t sound too extreme. It is a good starting point for Within Chaos.
But the mellowness (I use this term very lightly) of this album makes it safe, and within a few years, it won’t be remembered.
The instrumental contribution is the best part of Virulent, bringing three decades of heavy metal and blending them into a jagged cocktail.
The best example of this is the non-vocal intro “In the Beginning.”
The strongest track off this CD is “What Doesn’t Kill You.” The riff is catchy, the song … well I still can’t understand the lyrics, but it sounds good anyway.
“Virulent” is a decent track, but the tail end of the song pays homage to some headbangers of the ’80s and is worth listening to the entire song.
Sometimes though, this meshing comes across a little too choppy to be ear pleasing, such as in “Rebirth of Rebellion.”
Though heavy metal isn’t my cup of tea, Virulent is a decent major label debut and addition to any headbanger’s collection.
