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BRIGHT OPHIDIA :
COMA

Doing a fast scan of the bio that came with this CD, I noticed that the band was categorized as a Progressive-Metal act. Since I have not been too overly thrilled with that scene as late, I was expecting something really, really (to use the non PC term) "gay". The sound that came out of my speakers however had nothing to do with Queensryche or Dream Theater, it actually had a lot more to do with Pantera and Fear Factory! It's a little odd, the CD artwork looks like something from a Prog band, (actually it also looks similar to the cover of Fear Factory's "Soul Of A New Machine" as well) and the group's pictures on their web site also make them look kind of Prog-ish. So I'm not sure what to think, unless a few sporadic moments of mellowness are enough to make a band a Prog band, then I don't think this qualifies. Maybe it was a typo, as the band lists their genre on their web page as "thrash / hardcore / nu-metal", which would be much closer to what I'm hearing. Anyway, all that a side, this debut CD smokes! There is great variety, some serious Thrash shredding ala Fear Factory, and mid tempo breakdowns and vocals straight from the Phil Anselmo school of Metal. It might not be the most ultra original CD you've ever heard, but when it's this good, who cares. I was thinking that this Polish band is surprisingly tight for an act that has only been around since 1998. But, after a little research, I found out why. All these guys are also involved in other projects together: Cezar (drums) is also in Dominium and Draft, Mariusz (bass) is in Dominium, Przemek (guitars) is a member of Draft, and Adam (vocals) is also in Dominium, Judy4, Quarter, and has also played with X Dimension (a side Black-Metal project of Marr from Dominium). So they know each other very well. This disc could not have come at a better time, with Fear Factory over, and Phil hinting at the same fate for Panetera, this is the place to turn. Heavy, professional, modern, memorable... what else can I say? For more info check out their web page.
RATING = 8 Thrashy Nu-Metal (Released 2003)

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BRIGHT OPHIDIA :
RED RIOT

I was suitably impressed with the band's debut effort last year called "Coma", so I was kind of pleased to see their second kick at the cat, "Red Riot", arrive in my mail box. The band has forged ahead with their somewhat unique brand of "thrash / hardcore / nu-metal", picking and choosing what they want from the world of Metal without letting themselves get too bogged down in any one sub genre. In the long run, this diversity will either be there saving grace, or their Achilles' heel. Depending on what song, and what 5 second portion of that song you want to analyze, you can hear snippets of a virtual host of bands. At the core of it all is still this Fear Factory crunch rattled with Pantera-isms. But on top of that there are strong Powerman 5000 (wow, did they fade from the radar or what?) and Slipknot vibes, hints of later era Voivod, the occasional electronic pop and whistle, and even a few fleeting moments of Prog-Metal! On the surface, this all seems rather intriguing, and there are some inspired moments during the sonic assault that is Red Riot, but overall, I'm not as impressed with this as I was with Coma. Maybe it's just because it's already been done before, or maybe its because a lot of other new bands have just started to mesh all this shit together as well... it's becoming the Nu-Nu-Metal... (God help us all if that term takes hold). Vocal wise, Adam is using every trick in the book. He has the Hardcore screaming down, the Death-Metal grunt, the Phil Anselmo rage, and at times we even get clean vocals, and the occasional spoken word passage. About the only Metal vocal trick he doesn't attempt is a Rob Halford falsetto shriek. In the end, even if Red Riot's shred is not as fresh sounding as it was a year ago, there is still plenty here to get you off your ass and into the pit. A good disc, but I would not bet on its longevity. And unfortunately for Bright Ophidia, Fear Factory has made a comeback, so there is no longer a need to look for a replacement.
RATING = 7 Thrashy Nu-Metal (Released 2004)

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