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Uphill Battle - Blurred 1999 - 2004
Release: 2005Label: Relapse Records
By: Anders
Posted: Feb 2, 2006
This album is this rather short lived band's swansong, they decided to break up in late 2005, which is quite a shame, as the band's 2 full length releases are quite good and offers, if not visionary metal, then a good blend of hardcore, death metal and technical frenzies en masse.
The driving force of Uphill Battle is drummer extraordinaire Danny Walker, he's a monster behind the kit, one moment blasting play with smashing kick drums, the next laid back, almost percussion-like drum work, then yet a break and insane technical drumming off beat, it changes like that all the time, and it works well all the time, it never gets too much, such good drumming is seldom heard. The guitar work is great as well, harsh riffs, with some twisted melodic work mixed into it, gripping and hard-boiled. The guitar work is a good blend of metal and hardcore, on the edge and attacking the listener all the time. The bass is heavy and is hiding behind the guitars most of the time, when it doesn't stick its ugly head above the guitars and does some havoc on its own. The vocals are great, almost always a triple assault attacking from all sides, that makes for a good and varied ball. All of the vocals are extreme and pushing boundaries, though that fits the music really good and adds more edge to the already boundary-breaking and extreme music.
The compositions are clever and intriguing, technical yet straight to the point. Straight in the face of the listener and gripping, even though the guitar tones are raw, almost punk-like, the drums a bit under-produced and the vocals ugly, grim and extreme. Great song writing which is coming to its right in this context.
This album, which is the last one we'll see from Uphill Battle, unless they decide to get back together at one point in the future, is a compilation of the band’s demo's and their part of the split album release with Anubis Rising and outtakes from the "Wreck Of Nerves" seesion. All the material is worth owning, there is no doubt about that. A good epitaph over this good band, though sad there won't come more new music from the force which was known as Uphill Battle!
The driving force of Uphill Battle is drummer extraordinaire Danny Walker, he's a monster behind the kit, one moment blasting play with smashing kick drums, the next laid back, almost percussion-like drum work, then yet a break and insane technical drumming off beat, it changes like that all the time, and it works well all the time, it never gets too much, such good drumming is seldom heard. The guitar work is great as well, harsh riffs, with some twisted melodic work mixed into it, gripping and hard-boiled. The guitar work is a good blend of metal and hardcore, on the edge and attacking the listener all the time. The bass is heavy and is hiding behind the guitars most of the time, when it doesn't stick its ugly head above the guitars and does some havoc on its own. The vocals are great, almost always a triple assault attacking from all sides, that makes for a good and varied ball. All of the vocals are extreme and pushing boundaries, though that fits the music really good and adds more edge to the already boundary-breaking and extreme music.
The compositions are clever and intriguing, technical yet straight to the point. Straight in the face of the listener and gripping, even though the guitar tones are raw, almost punk-like, the drums a bit under-produced and the vocals ugly, grim and extreme. Great song writing which is coming to its right in this context.
This album, which is the last one we'll see from Uphill Battle, unless they decide to get back together at one point in the future, is a compilation of the band’s demo's and their part of the split album release with Anubis Rising and outtakes from the "Wreck Of Nerves" seesion. All the material is worth owning, there is no doubt about that. A good epitaph over this good band, though sad there won't come more new music from the force which was known as Uphill Battle!
Rating: 8/10
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