Well, what can we say, it has definitely been a very long time coming for Rottweiler Records‘ progressive metalcore band Final Surrender that hail from the vast landscapes of Bangalore, India. The band have been on hiatus for quite some time, however the group are just about to release their brand new five-track EP Frog In A Pan, which is the follow-up to their 2016 full-length album Nothing, But Void.
So, it has been a long time coming for all the fans of the band, as with our current global situation, which has made it tough on many, especially musicians. These guys have a hard hitting combination of homeland beats and native perspectives within the cultural sounds of delight.
- Hubris
- A Perfect Lie
- The Cacophony Withing
- Frog In A Pan
- Machinations Of A Kamikaze
Commencing with their opening track “Hubris“, which automatically succumbs to a array of crunching melodic guitars and ancient Indian instruments that breathes such life into a heavy genre, and the female humming certainly adds to the spark that causes the fire.
“A Perfect Lie” is next on the bill, as this single is the flagship song that launches the EP into a world of its own. With the stereotypical vocal techniques to capture listeners in the metalcore aspect of music, their impact – musically with unseen hooks, melodic muscle that just dominates throughout the life of the song, and a clarity of electronica that builds the track into a grinder of artistic creativity.
“The Cacophony Within” continues to gravitate in the direction intended, for a darn good effort. Just the utter brilliance of their native music, it just mixes so well with what we call a generalized western metal sound, but continually breaking the boundaries. Their efforts haven’t been in vain, they have that magic that not many bands seem to grasp. You’ll certainly notice the symbiotic relationship all of the members have in the band.
Title track “Frogs In The Pan” is next in waiting, as I continue to listen through, you can see that the album Nothing But, Void was no mere accident, and this even more demonstrates the progressive nature of the band as they continue that pull towards what they want to achieve and impact towards the listener that somehow, gets it and understands all that the band are trying to convey.
“Machinations Of A Kamikaze” is finalizing proceedings from this unfortunately short release (my inner boos kick in), however it ends the EP with some clarity of structure that has developed through the last few songs and a ballad-like intake that blends the previous and current musical aspects that the band have openly experimented with over the course of their existence as a unit.
We add serious pluses to this release and for the growth of all the members of the band, that honestly bear fruit for their eagerness to create such a great EP.
Christian Sullivan 9/10 – The Metal Onslaught Magazine