Album Details

• Artist: Single Bullet Theory
• Album: On Broken Wings
• Label: Crash Music Inc.
• Year of Release: 2007
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2008-03-03

When a band can't find a way, they often use a map. There are many maps, left behind by those who cleared the way. Single Bullet Theory will never be blamed for clearing the way. Let's just get that out of the way now, so the rest of the review isn't as negative as it could be. There's nothing you'll hear on "Single Bullet Theory" you can't find somewhere else; but let's give it up to the band for putting their influences together in a tight, easy to digest package of thrashy death metal dosed heavily with a modern metalcore flavor. Think Lamb of God covering Suffocation with vocals twice as twisted as either. 

To delve further into the sound, melodic death (ala In Flames) is about as close a comparison as can be made for Single Bullet Theory. The construction of almost all their songs, from chugging riffs for the verses to overblown leads and unashamed keyboard dabbling in the choruses, screams of that Swedish melodic death metal that's seen it's peak come and slowly drift away in the past decade. SBT, on the other hand, know enough to throw plenty more balance into the mix. Tracks like "The Killing Floor" (Pure Cradle of Filth worship...just hear some of those high-pitched shrieks!) and "Throes of Man" will leave you wanting more; the rest of the album probably won't deliver. But it's not for a lack of trying; they do what they do as good as anyone else, that's for sure. 

I don't like to praise a band who can't stand on it's own two feet when it comes to producing original material. But I'll give Single Bullet Theory credit where it's due. They've managed to impress me with their technical sharpness, but there is some sloppiness in the drumming and straining from the vocal department that could be rectified easily. This almost makes me want to hear older SBT albums; often enough, a band has it right the first time around and will eventually hurt itself, by accident or otherwise. This might be worth your time, but then again, the new Soilwork album will give you most if not all of what "On Broken Wings" offers. 

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