Search
Close this search box.

COLD SNAP – All Our Sins – (Album Review)

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Telegram
Email
Print

The Story So Far

Cold Snap are a 6 piece metal band from Croatia who have been around for about 15 years. However, it is only recently that they seem to be getting noticed in different parts of the globe. July 6, 2018, sees the release of their fourth album and the third to be produced by Tue Madsen from Denmark who has also worked with bands such as Madball, At The Gates and Meshuggah amongst others. The band have played at festivals across Europe in the last few years including Wacken and Metal Camp as well as their own shows and in support of acts of the caliber of Soulfly, Disturbed, and Blind Guardian.

They have a groove-based style of metal with hints of what was called “nu-metal” but merging with artists like Pantera and Lamb Of God. Technically they are very good and the backline of bass (Zoran Ernoic) and drums (Dario Sambol) work their socks off powering everything along nicely. The lyrical themes on the new record called All Our Sins jump between world views and the state of society at the moment with personal pain and grief, especially watching loved ones suffering from illness including cancer. Heavy lyrics for heavy music.

There are 12 tracks on the album and most are quite strong. Some of the best songs include “Fallen Angels” which has some engaging guitar melodies at points and a powerful chorus (they are rather good at choruses from the sounds of this album) and grooves along sweetly in the most metallic way.

The Songs Themselves

Demons” is one of the more political tracks having lyrics which declare “place is rotten, society forgotten” and that we need to “replace the demons” that are running the show. The slower almost slightly doom style chorus is a pleasant and different touch adding variety to what they do.

Another political assault is on “2 4 The System” which has thunderous drumming and is simply in your face metal to fist throw whilst moshing. Screaming “no religion, no nation” as well as having “fuck the system” belted out as the last line gives you an idea that they are unhappy with the way things are going in the world at the moment.

Cold Snap – The Band

They finish on a moving song which again is about the world and the sins of the world. “Distance” was released as the single deals with the difficult and often upsetting subject of refugees,  although it is written in a way that can open itself up to other more personal interpretations. The idea of families split apart due to war, with those able to travel trying to find somewhere to live which will allow them to help their loved ones even so far away that couldn’t escape the tragedies. It has a certain accessibility yet is still very heavy musically with the 2 singers (Jan Kerekes and Dario Berg) voices complementing each other very well. With another massive chorus and going from a very early Korn type sound (even vocally) into some very heavy almost touching on black metal in the blink of an eye and finishing on a very gentle reflective guitar outro this is a fabulous song.

There are a couple of tracks that seem to deal specifically with illness, firstly the short interlude called “Remission” that made me think a little of “Electric Requiem” from Queensryche’s Operation Mindcrime and “Witness To Your Sickness” which has a slower opening leading to a heavy syncopated section which allows the anger to flow (“cancer can go to hell”) but reigns it in when the desperation and helplessness of not being able to do anything for your loved one in pain. How you wish you could take it away from them. This is a beautiful song which you can tell comes from experience and anyone who has suffered similarly will find it an accurate description of the awful situation.

Final Thoughts

All Our Sins, available via Nuclear Blast Records, is a very well constructed and produced album with songs dealing with harsh realities but with emotion and feeling. It is the sound of a band who have really grown into what they do.

As a band, they put thought into everything they do, not only musically, but also visually if you check out their videos which they apparently mostly self-produced and an album cover that is striking. It just looks like a noose until you notice the bodies weaved in! Very captivating and haunting. (Artist is Zeljko Manojlovic)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER

 BUY ALBUM USA

BUY ALBUM UK

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2jJrTKNmrI[/embedyt]

Check Out Our Latest .

Gene simmons, kiss, rob halford, judas priest, wednesday 13, murderdolls, slipknot, jay weinberg, korn, scott stapp, creed, black sabbath, george lynch, don, dokken, alice cooper, jack russell, great white, lemmy, motorhead, decibel geek, podcast, rock, news, comedy, talk,

Geekwire Week of 03.08.24 – Ep566

We’re back with all the latest, greatest, and weirdest news in the rock world with Geekwire! Here’s a look at what we’re