Axis of Advance - Strike : Album Review

Axis of Advance were a Black/Death band from Canada. Their playing style is similar to Ross Bay cult bands like Blasphemy, Revenge and Conqueror, mostly owing to the fact that James Read from the latter two bands handles drums. Axis of Advance play in a style similar to, but not exactly like the above mentioned bands.

Strike is the band's first full-length album, released in 2001. The moment the first epic 8 and half minute song hits, you realize that it isn't your typical War Metal affair. Unlike the chaos of Conqueror and Revenge, and directionless and mindless blasting of Bestial Warlust, Axis of Advance has some coherence when in comes to structure and riffing. Bear in mind that this, in no way means that it can be digested by your usual Black or Death Metal fan, since the chaotic quality has only been toned down a little. Imagine a cross between Revenge and Order From Chaos - the noise and violence of the former, coupled with the riffing variety and style of the latter. Like their fellow countrymen, Axis of Advance don't cut down the intensity of their assault.

The riffs vary between grinding, war metal-like and catchy, vicious Black/Death Metal riffs, which keeps the songs interesting and avoids monotony, while maintaining the ferocity of the assault. Contrary to majority of Metal, the riffs take up the role of support fire - the band's main weapon is their artillery in form of drums, and it's command undertaken by the war machine, James Read. Read pounds on the snare like a maniac, but with the timing and precision of a sniper. The drums assault the listener's ears, invoking a sense of suppression that is felt in a battle. Between those assaults, are moments with catchy riffs and less destructive drumming, creating a picture of an advancing army through the battlefield, claiming more of the enemy's territory. The drums and riffs are supported by throaty rasps and growls, that don't possess much power but do their job well. The bass guitar is hidden beneath layers of pounding drums and grinding guitars, but due to the rather straight-forward music, its exact nature of playing isn't missed much, but they do the ever-important job of making the music heavier. Some songs on the album end with samples of gunfire, which seem to fit in seamlessly and don't feel forced or put in for no reason. The weak points in the album include the difficulty in differentiating one song from another, (though the case is not as bad as Bestial Warlust), and the length of three particular songs is over 8 minutes, which is a drag for the style Axis of Advance play.


All in all, Strike is an above average album, recommended for Black and Death Metal fans who can take a vicious, relentless assault for over 40 minutes.