Colepitz maliciously combine ominous melody with crisp, searing riffs and heartfelt vocals to take the modern metal genre off course into a rough, yet captivating new realm. Assembling a variety of different tones to punctuate their riff heavy attack, the group enlist everything from organic acoustic strums and effect coated plucks to crunchy, grinding power chords that violently thrash underneath the at most times, soothingly melodic vocals. There's not really many discernible influences or similar styles within the bands music although the CD can sometimes bring to mind a dash of the Deftones and Korn mixed in with the epic sounding song structures of groups like Failure.
Vocally the CD is enchanting as band frontman Rob entangles the listener in his charming voice and warm tonal wails which shine throughout the bands cleverly crafted verses, that manage to shift the attention of the listener almost exclusively to his lung draining croons. There is also a darker, more aggressive side at play here, which can sound a bit disorienting on tracks such as "Deceived", where it takes form with a high pitched screech aided by the use of vocal distortion, but yet, when it is implemented in a more traditional low pitched growl, it winds up feeling right at home. Guitars are thick sounding, using a light tinge of distortion along with moderate downtuning to establish a punchy wall of sound which can at times dabble in Korn-ish squeals and spiraling effects. Bass on the other hand, seems to be the cement foundation of the band, consistently hitting notes and upholding the rhythmic song structures, while also adding a bit of occasional dynamic flair through the use of slap and pop and other more outlandish techniques. The drumming performance captured here features is brisk and features a tightly tuned snare which is riddled with heavy hit variation and solid rolls that ensure a workout for the whole kit. There's a slightly off time nature with which the percussive patterns are played as a whole, but this only winds up adding a bit of an edge to the band, as it keeps the listeners focus constantly shifting.
With the line-up present on this disc, the band have managed to create some intricate music that is fueled with aggression, yet still feels mature and confident. Too many bands out there rush their songs and the effort put into the tracks on this album show just what a band can be capable of if the proper time is spent honing their craft. Unfortunately though, a handful of the songs included here do sound like filler and fail to spark any direct interest which may cause the listener to skip to the next track. This alone could devastate a band, but when there's material on board like the mesmerizing opener "Your Child" and the dark cruncher, "Shatter", both of which liberally incorporate acoustic overdubs while sculpting lush auditory environments to be immersed in, the groups faults tend to become less and less visible. Sadly though, the band has now parted ways with their extremely talented vocalist Rob Egbert, but if they can find a worthy replacement, it will no doubt only be a matter of time before they take the heavy music scene by storm. Colepitz haven't had it easy with such factors as constant line-up changes and being located in the musical wasteland known as Maine pitted against them. But above all else they still prevail with talent and fresh ideas and if they can stitch things up internally, their music will assuredly be embraced by most if not all who listen.
(4 / 5)
