Chosen is one of those acts that really make it hard to classify them under a specific genre of Metal music. These talented musicians have the ability to deliver really multileveled material that sounds rather impressive considering their lack of experience (this is only their second EP). I honestly don't know for how long they've been working on these songs (since the band exists from 2001) but it is more than obvious to me that the compositions included in this release are more than complete. The band was formed back in 2001 by Paul Shields (guitars) and David McCann (drums) but it took them a long time to establish a stable lineup. That happened in December 2004. The Dublin based act started composing & recording material in March 2005. That material was included in two EPs (titled Fragments - Piece I and Fragments - Piece II) with the first one released in the beginning of September 2005 and the second one in April 2006. Trying to pinpoint the band's music on the Metal map, I guess it would be better to say that their sound is an alloy of extreme Metal (from slow paced Thrash to Death Metal) toped by clean (somehow N.U.) vocal lines. All this is nicely blended in the correct proportions delivering a very compact piece of work. One conclusion is that even though for the untrained ear this might sound a bit chaotic (should I say disoriented?), I am confident that the band has a very clear vision of their music. This is constantly proven every time a breakdown or a change of tempo occurs (and that happens really often). The only objection I have concerns the average production that makes the listening a bit difficult (and considering the complexity of the material, this doesn't help at all). In conclusion this was a really nice surprise from Ireland. I am confident that a full length is on its way…
Tracklist:
Crooked Path A Thousand Pains Waking Dreams The Nemesis Darkness Of A Smile
Lineup:
Carl King - Vocals Paul Shields - Guitar Lar Bowler - Guitar Matt Gaynor - Bass David McCann - Drums