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By JEFF MAKI
Florida's Ekotren is a band riding the edge of metalcore and radio-friendly heavy rock. At first listen, a few bands come to mind, such as Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying and All That Remains. Ekotren's music has a similar sound to those bands, blending clean vocals and harsh screams, though they lean more on a radio-friendly, nu-metal side, comparable to Mudvayne or Nonpoint. The band is a five-piece (including a keyboardist) and actually have been together since 2000. Over the last few years, the band has been playing to broader audiences as a result of sharing stages with Nonpoint, Saliva, Diecast and others. They have released two prior EPs, with many of those songs reappearing on Light the Fire.
Most of the songs build up intensity until the band has no other choice but to let it loose. This formula pumps up the listener and escalates adrenaline and heart rhythm. The guitars come in the form of in-your-face riffs and strong harmonies, a pure strength of the band. In a genre where melody is becoming less and less of a factor, Ekotren provides memorable songs with excellent structure. On the downside, the album easily could have been released five years ago. But good music is good music and, regardless, Ekotren has its shit together. The title track, “Light the Fire,” is straight-up metalcore, an adrenaline-filled anthem sure to ignite live audiences. “Become” shows off a more radio-rock sound before erupting into a galloping thrasher. “Tranqualized” or “Nothing Left” could be good choices for singles. The songs are heavy with just enough muscle for metalheads but also have melody. It's these tracks that really remind me of Nonpoint. “Needed You More” is Ekotren's power ballad, with emotional lyrics and piano notes. The song is a bit too sappy for me but effectively shows the band is willing to take risks. With the variety of material here, this band certainly has not pigeonholed itself into one particular sound. The disc loses intensity around the halfway mark, with too many of this type of songs back to back. At least the album closes with the heaviest of the bunch in “Chupacabra.”
Ekotren offers an excellent debut, displaying a lot of potential. There are songs here to please the casual metal fan and material heavy enough for diehards. Most importantly, Light the Fire contains strong and memorable songs with great production, worthy to listen to over and over again. |
