reviews

recent reviews

Reviews

Noumeno - Trapped

posted by: maurice on 9 March 2010

UK Division

When I look at the cover of ‘Trapped’ I don’t know what to expect. I see a man’s face with a cat’s eye on his forehead. Inside the booklet, in the band picture, a guy is wearing a shirt that says “Play Fast, Life is Short”. When I see Noumeno is endorsed by a couple of companies I am sure they don’t play fast oldschool hardcore.

The Italians play instrumental technical metal somewhere between Cynic and Porcupine Tree (later work) with hints to Iron Maiden (the opening song “24”) and Meshuggah (in “Anger in Vain”). According to the cover and booklet I didn't expect that 'Trapped' turned into this type of music. I was wrong, these musicians can play. In “Jason Becker Tribute” they pay hommage to Jason Becker who suffers from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, but Noumeno shows too much technical playmanship in this song, making it not easy to listen to.

I prefer the rock attitude more that’s showcased in “Panda Song” or in “Without Fear Without Pain”. Vitalji Kuprji helps the band in “Visionary Schizophrenia” with his keyboards and this song is one big gala of guitar shredding and keyboard freakery. For a second I even thought I was listening to the Italian band Rhapsody.

The rest of the songs also more or less have this freakery, which is cool to play maybe, but what I miss is an atmosphere. The four musicians forgot to add a warm ambience to the songs, now the listener has to deal with a couple of sterile songs that aren’t connected as a complete bundle.

Rating:

Views: 422

Related bandprofile: Noumeno