Resistance - Patents Of Control

American thrashers Resistance are back with their second album 'Patents of Control', the followup to their 2005 debut 'Lies In Black', and bring a loose concept album with them.The concept? It talks of a mans attempt to create the ideal society, one free of drugs, free of hunger, where poverty has been eradicated and where there is no longer any addiction to drugs, a practical utopia one might deduce. And how we ask is this utopia to come into existence? Well through the use of mind control devices of course! The twist here is of course Resistance talking about devices that have current US patents.

Pretty nifty concept right?

Musically we are treated here in many ways. Throughout the album Matt Ohnemus behind the kit is superb, showing that he is most likely the star of the show here, unusual perhaps because in all fairness that's normally how you position the drummer in the band, and guitarist Dan Luna is certainly no lightweight, showing off his abilities on many of the mid song solos on the album, and there are a fair amount of them here!

So songs aren't half bad, the drums kick ass, and the guitars pass muster... so where's the catch? Well to be honest that catch is vocalist Robbie Hett. Now I'm sure many people out there will disagree with me, but I just found him the weak link in the band, and it drags the whole album down. When he growls, he's now Tim Owens, when he sings... well now...

In the end, I'm left feeling that this is a band that want to be running in the same progressive metal circles as Iced Earth, but are toning things back towards the thrash stylings. It's not a bad album, but neither is it the album that perhaps it could have been.

Lineup:

Robbie Hett – Vocals
Dan Luna – Guitars + Vocals
Dave Watson – Select Guitar Solos
Paul Shigo – Bass + Vocals
Matt Ohnemus – Drums + Vocals