Jotnar - Connected/Condemned

Jotnar

Connected/Condemned

by Bruno Diniz at 23 June 2017, 6:12 AM

“JOTNAR is an aggressive band of melodic Death Metal that offers a new and redesigned sound, while maintaining the heart of the Old School”. The definition of the band made in its own Facebook exemplifies very well a sonority in his debut album "Connected/Condemned", launched through Massacre Records. The Spanish quintet formed by Mario Infantes, Ben Melero (Guitars), Elhadji N'Diaye (Guitars / Backing Vocals), Octavio Santana (Bass) and Jose "Xurro" Rodríguez (Drums) bring enough technique and creativity to theirs listeners. Nothing new here, but experiences brought by this new work are very attractive.

The opening track "Connected/Condemned" has in its beginning electronic traces of Nu Metal, but this is not what the band presents soon after. Aggressive riffs a powerful and varied vocal, and a very good timing between the instruments show off the face of the band. Something bothered me in the Promo mix I received, the sound seemed a little muffled and sometimes the more vocal should have more prominence. Anyway, after checking on Spotify, the sound is so much cleaner and better. I think this is a point that the band or a record company should have more attention. "Remainder still" proceeds with a very brutal and less groovy sound than the previous one: this is a frenetic and perfect music for the stage. "Missing Shadows" and "Broken Esteem" have a reverse a construction counting with the predominance of clean vocal and a softer and broken rhythm. "Suicidal Angel" comes next, betting on the combination of vocals and perhaps one of the best choirs of the album. Despite being a slightly less aggressive song, it brings nuances between a more melodic rhythm and a pounding.

"Live Togher And Die Alone" features a great theme and in "Starved of Guidance", which a beautiful track, I've noticed that a build continues just like its predecessors, grunting / cleaning or cleaning / grunting,  and always with clean vocals on chorus. The band can be open to a wide variation in their listeners. "I, The Paradox" and "The Sentence" are my favorite songs of this work, bringing lead guitars in great presence of a soul of the eighties melodic metal with great personality. The album also have a great cover of Nelly Furtado's "Tell It Right" and a fantastic Jannie Lord participation in the song that ends the album called "The Portraid" bringing an immersive peace through her female vocals. It is noticeable the care and the work of the band to bring to us one great album. The few flaws that the "Connected/Condemned" have, are easy to be corrected, and considering it is a debut album we can tell that the JOTNAR already born very mature.

Songwriting: 10
Originality: 9
Memorability: 10
Production: 9