Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Australian rock doomsters Metanoia's 'Don't Walk The Dead' thuds out of the speakers with a wall of rock power that is likely to dislodge the ornaments from your neighbour's shelves (SO TURN IT DOWN!!!!!). Plenty of power from girl bassist Tina and drummer Ian who build a solid foundation on top of which Steve Bennet's guitar alternates between furious slabs of heavy riffing and some free flowing solos. The wonderfully named vocalist, Yowie, writes some of the lyrics but delivers them in a guttural growl that renders them indecipherable (am I getting too old here?) however the lyrics are helpfully added to the CD sleeve so there is no doubt that these are powerfully in your face songs! More direct than your average Nashville CCM song, Metanoia unleash a broadside that hits at spiritual issues facing the disadvantaged and the desperate. Musically the band introduce plenty of metal sounds into the overall feel of the album and there are definite moments when the band push the boat out and experiment with some fresh sounds. For example "Can You Feel It" is split into a number of different musical passages giving the track a huge but varied sound. There's a touch of violin and acoustic guitar on "Reflections" showing a completely different side to the band! But don't worry, it's soon back to business.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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