Paradoxicide - Savior

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PARADOXICIDE  is the brainchild of a middle-aged Midwest male in Holland, Ohio, USA. The only certainty is that the guitarist is called Dennis Ahmer. For the rest we just have to guess who the band members are. He contacted the best musicians he could find, but they all declined. So, in order to achieve and record the dream he had he reached out to former bandmates and hired a singer from an underground Metal website. None of the names of those players are mentioned in the biography, which I feel is a travesty and doesn’t do justice to them. But after having been huddled in darkness recording this, they have released their debut album “Savior”.

“PARADOXICIDE makes no claims to the quality of the music and lyrics. They also make no apologies for them either.” That is what the band has put in their information pack. Well, that’s one way of saying that if I don’t like what I hear there’s nothing Dennis Ahmer could have done about. What a load of BS! If you are the one who wrote the damned stuff, and you were the boss during the process of recording as well, it is your baby we are listening to. And if you think it is lacking, you simply shouldn’t have released it. So, rant done!

Musically PARADOXICIDE call themselves a Groove/Thrash Metal  band. But on the basis of “Savior” I can’t really concur, as what I am listening to reminds me more of Sludge metal bands like CROWBAR and PRO-PAIN. The guitars are tuned very low and threatening, the drums are a bit archaic, but it fits. If only they would leave out some of the irritating high sounds the latter is using during some of the songs. What does lift my spirit about PARADOXICIDE is that with the kind of voice that this singer has he is a perfect example of the right man in the right place. If I were Dennis Ahmer, I’d try to keep him, as he does have a very distinguishable sound. And the songs aren’t bad either, although I feel they lack a bit of that extra bit of quality. They do have some substance and enough body to keep you interested.

All put together I have been listening to a very interesting album, that with a little more effort could have been a top notch one. If Dennis Ahmer wishes to regret anything, it is that he should have taken more time to evolve the okay songs into exquisite ones.

Songwriting: 6
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 6
Production: 7