Incassum – Rite Of Passage (2012)
Rocksector Records - Running Time 57:15

Manchester, UK based melodic death metal band Incassum are a fairly new name to me, in fact had I not been lucky enough to witness them live recently I probably would have been none the wiser as to their existence. I’m very glad that I have ‘discovered’ them though, because they are a genuinely talented bunch and their debut album ‘Rite Of Passage’ deserves your attention. Signed to independent label Rocksector Records, who have a fantastic track record of finding and nurturing great new bands, Incassum were initially formed in 2004, released a mini album ‘In Vain’ in 2008 and have worked relentlessly to reach the position they now find themselves in. What makes them stand out from the crowd I hear you shout! Well apart from the excellent musicianship and songs which permeate the album, the standout attribute has to be vocalist Sharleen Kennedy whose demonic growl is matched only by her outstanding singing voice. If you were listening to this band without first seeing them you wouldn’t believe that both voices indeed come from the same person. Imagine a darker Arch Enemy mixed with the choruses of say Lacuna Coil and you might be somewhere near what Incassum are all about, however they manage to infuse a small element of prog metal into their sound as well which makes them very refreshing to listen to.

All twelve songs on ‘Rite Of Passage’ have something positive to say musically, none of them conform to a standard melo-death template, being full of twists, turns and varying tempos and the impact the more melodic, but still powerful, choruses have cannot be understated. Guitarists Andrew Snowden and Chris Taylor riff and solo as if their lives depended on it but do not overplay and can also produce some nice acoustic work when needed. Bassist Joe Ratcliffe follows them solidly and drummer John Curran is a beast on the kit. My only ‘complaint’ is that the production really doesn’t do them any favours, but thankfully the quality of the songs shines through, proving that Incassum are certainly a young band with a very bright future. To have produced a debut of this quality says a lot and with a decent producer on board album number two could be a killer!



https://www.facebook.com/Incassum
http://www.incassum.com/
http://www.mwaweb.com/rocksector.htm


Review written exclusively for Brutiful Entertainment by Rick Tilley - https://www.facebook.com/richard.tilley.351