Sounding more American than their British roots would suggest, Biomechanical have unleashed a savage, complex offering of power/thrash/groove metal that recalls many of the genre’s top bands, but develops an identity and character all its own. By modernizing and infusing a tricky, rapid-fire approach to the aforementioned styles, The Empires Of The World ends up being one of the biggest surprises of ’05.

Biomechanical is perhaps best described as the vitriolic combination of Nevermore, Pantera, and Death, all of which have inimitable, notable styles. Most prevelant on The Empires Of The World would be the Nevermore comparison, for lead singer John K is able to match Warrel Dane’s rafter-scraping vocals with ease. The production job also recalls Dead Heart-era Nevermore given how deep and thick both the guitar and drum sound are, making each groove and guitar lick that much heavier.

The Empires Of The World also has a cinematic, film score quality to it, in the sense of several climaxes and interludes heard throughout the 14 tracks. This added component, along with the driving rhythms of songs like ‘Enemy Within,’ ‘Assaulter’ and ‘Survival’ make for a layered, lush soundscape, one that can Biomechanical can proudly call their own.

Some may find fault with this album’s inability to lock into a deep, solid groove, but the high level complexity and thought put into this album cannot be disputed. The Empires Of The World is stocked with countless levels of ear candy, many of which will find the listener coming back for more. One hopes to see further development of this sound, giving headway that Biomechanical are the future of metal.

» earache.com