Linea 77's second effort for Earache essentially picks up where their debut left off, except this time around the band experiment with more textures and expand the scope of their sonic range tenfold. Still startlingly agitated, The tracks contained here find them ushering in their own sound, cranking out disturbed aggression and mixing it with curious emotion. With the fury of the Deftones and spontaneity of System Of A Down, the group tackle each song without any inhibition. Shades of Suicidal Tendencies also seemingly surface now and then but overall everything is thoroughly mixed within this bands own special blend of rough around the edges new metal, making any direct comparison nearly impossible.

At times the vocals can be a bit hard to digest due to the slightly off pronunciation that comes as a result of English not being their native language. But this works in their favor somewhat as it is coupled with vibrant vocal patterns which zig zag from every emotion imaginable at increasingly rapid speeds, making for one completely unpredictable ride that takes the listener to a variety of unexpected areas within each song. From the ethereal backup's of a female opera inspired voice on the title track, to tripped out vocal effects, Tibetan chants and engulfing harmony, this band do not try to fit into any constraints of contemporary song structure and yet it all still seems to fit together snugly, instead of sounding too ambitious or clustered. Interesting song ideas and tons of textural sounds are also highlights as crunchy guitars bring up the rear and try to keep up with the pace of the spastic vocal nature that the bands two vocalists possess, constantly complimenting each others style with contrasting tones and melodies.

With everything from skin searing new metal to spiraling if not chaotic emo and an enjoyable, albeit laughable cover of the Bangles "Walk Like An Egyptian" included, this album definitely requires an open mind. Yet, perhaps its this along with their animated intensity and ambition that makes it all such a treat. Rather than trying to blend genres with technical precision, these 5 Italians throw everything in the air and let it fall, creating a raw, yet alluring playful nature. But just because things can feel generously loose, don't be fooled into thinking of them as light hearted, as the music is still as dangerous and angry as a hungry lion shot in the ass with a bb gun. Sadly though, there are a few things that slowly steal from the overall energy, one of which is the tendency for some tracks instantly capture the attention of the listener, while the bulk of the others tend to meander on and almost feeling like filler. It's hard to say if the aforementioned tracks were just an experiment gone wrong or reckless song writing, but the end result can wind up being a few tracks to occasionally being skipped as the anticipation for the more explosive cuts begins to eat away at the listener. Another factor that may hinder the band catching widespread acceptance in North America is also their cloudy vocals, although in their favor it isn't annoying, but it still can come off as disorienting at times. Besides the minor flaws though, this record is a definitive step up from their last and is progressive enough to guarantee that anyone with an open mind to music or even those just looking for more fresh ideas than your typical new metal band has to offer, will easily enjoy catching up with Ketchup Suicide.
(3.5 / 5)