Reviewed - 08.04.07
Realm followed up their stellar 1988 debut with 1990’s Suiciety and this too has the re-issue treatment. After a thorough grounding in Realm’s stellar debut Endless War, I admit for some reason I never crossed paths with this one first time around. For some reason I wasn’t sure it would be as good. I don’t know why, but sometimes bands over think the music, slow down and lose that youthful exuberance that made them exciting.
Suiciety certainly kicks off things with intent, Cain Rose Up has much of the feel of Endless War, though the production or mix on this seems a little less forceful. The clanky bass is a little too upfront and the guitars seem really low in the mix. Besides which, as you play the CD you notice the track 4 is really track 3 etc, because the intro to the opening tune has been given a track of its own. Somebody wasn’t paying attention. The sound issue may just be my ears because a fan on Realm’s Myspace page says Suiciety sounds awesome yet criticizes the Endless War reissue for some bad sonic mastering. Perhaps it’s just the style of this album. It’s certainly more sonically clear, but I want to hear the guitar more than the bass! And I’m a bassplayer! Horses for courses.
As for the actual music, I’m not sure if it’s my unfamiliarity, especially compared with the debut, or what I perceive as a weaker sound, but I feel strangely less convinced about this one. I must admit that all the elements of the debut seem to be here, but there’s much more of a melodic feel to the riffing, less powerchording and more of that single note type riffing that Megadeth moved towards after So Far So Good. With the bass following the same melodies it can occasionally sound a little light. The guitars do seem to fly out of the stereo every time a solo is ripped out though, and ripped out is right because these guys know how to play. The arrangements seem a lot more open too, a little more progressive, or Metal, than thrash. This is no bad thing really as apparently Realm did the road work back in the day and as their musicianship is evidently a cut above, they’re bound to try and perfect their sound. I’m just picking up more of a muso, guitar freakout vibe from this one as opposed to the spastic thrashing of Endless War.
I’ll happily admit though that this one still thrashes on occasion and certainly has no limit on notes per minute. Mark Antoni is still confidently working all of the songs and the uber-tight arrangements (and pants no doubt) show that these tracks were very likely labours of love. I just wish they’d up the pace and turn up those bloody guitars every now and then. It’s often just too mid paced and ploddy! It’s like some cock-rock beast being fucked by Sadus and Mordred at the same time. Kinda weird. Really if you want evil thrash, this isn’t the one, but if you’re a big fan of melodic, inventive Metal, you’ll likely love this. I feel terrible for saying it but this just doesn’t do it for me.
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