Face Down Hero - Of Storytellers & Gunfellas (2009)

Germans Face Down Hero have remained busy with an album each year; this is their third and most accomplished slab of modern thrash to date. Though the classic thrash & speed metal roots of bands like Metallica and Slayer can be heard clearly within their style, they simmer the riffing in a somewhat epic atmosphere with very catchy guitar leads that stick right out in the mix. Vocalist Christian Naumann has an emotional Hetfield-like voice which might unsettle those who seek the traditional bark & sneer of German thrash, but this also lends an added grace and fuel to the driving rhythms.

Not all the tracks on the album are memorable. "Disposable Significance (the Bodyguard)" is forgettable, but "Modern Prophets & Saints (the Lobbyist)" is pretty powerful if you can forgive the often silly placement of certain lyrics. Don't get me wrong though, I do like the concept the band has going here which seems to revolve around various people in different levels of society whose lives are touched by firearms and deadly force. "Deceptive Silence (the Cop)" comes in crashing like a wall of thrashing fists under a delicately atmospheric lead. Points of mood such as this are where Face Down Hero excels, and this is one of the better songs on the album, for a few lines Naumann's vocals sound akin to Mille of Kreator. Other great songs include "My Fifteen Minutes (the Boy)" and "Benefactors - Disguised Aggressors (the Soldier)".

The mix here is key to delivering the band's signature melodies over a bludgeoning backdrop of thrash & groove. It has a modern aesthetic which you expect from a lot of the thrash/melodeath crop of late. Not all the songs are great, and the socio-political message of the lyrics may not appeal equally to everyone. But it's refreshing to see a band do something with thrash metal other than simple retro worship, even if they've yet to deliver a magnum opus. Face Down Hero is a pretty driven band and with some tweaking and a little more work on the riffs they should see their star rising.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.facedownhero.de/