Extreme metal is not my area of expertise. I dabbled briefly in the world of metal when I was around 17, but apart from a few bands it never really appealed to me, and I can honestly say it still doesn’t.
Chosen are an Irish duo who formed in 2005. The band’s latest effort ’Resolution’ fuses heavy riffs with absolutely furious vocals. It has breakdowns, some nice softly sung bits and then it’s back to the unrelenting heaviness of it all.
Opener ‘Engine Of Belief’ is the perfect example of what to expect throughout the course of ’Resolution’. It’s crushingly heavy, and frankly a little unbelievable that this all comes from just two people.
Second track ‘Defective Prospection’ is probably my highlight. It shows the absolute proficiency of the band at all the instruments they play, combines this with their obvious love of the genre to create an interesting take on something that is often stale.
The record continues on in a similar fashion. There are few let ups though, as every time you think there will be a chance to breathe it knocks you back down again. The band are undoubtedly extremely talented, and for a genre I can’t usually stand, ’Resolution’ is actually pretty good.
I don’t have a very large frame of reference to work with here, but If i had to say who Chosen are similar to, it would be Between The Buried And Me. The songs are sprawling, interesting and technical. It’s not something I would choose to listen to on a daily basis, but I would certainly listen to it again.
Overall Chosen have written a crushingly heavy record with ’Resolution’. One that is completely unrelenting yet interesting and not a slave to the constraints of a tired genre, where nearly every band sounds like carbon copies of one another. The production here is top notch; the guitars especially sound great. They have such an oppressive tone that makes you really take notice of the band and what they are doing. ’Resolution’ was a pleasant surprise for me, and I will certainly be keeping an eye on Chosen in the future.
3.5/5
‘Resolution’ by Chosen is out on the 22nd April.
Chosen links: Website|Facebook|Twitter
Words by Ryan Clayton (@clayton_ryan)
