Merauder - Bluetality
Century Media
Metalcore
10 songs (31:41)
Release year: 2003
Century Media
Reviewed by Jay

With police related violence gaining more and more media attention, it should come as no surprise that a politically conscious band would devote an entire album to this problem. This is what Merauder has done with Bluetality. While hardcore often is about issues in society, I dare say this is the first concept album based on police brutality. Produced by Billy Milano of S.O.D. and M.O.D. fame, this album spews anger and makes a harsh criticism of law enforcement.

The music is typical of metalcore with simplistic riffs. While nothing more is called for, it does get quite repetitive. No faults are present in Milano’s production which sounds sharp the whole album. Even the bass has an amazing sound, which is important since many metalcore albums neglect this element. More hardcore bands should try this level of production because it drastically improves the sound quality. The repetition does make it hard to differentiate between the songs after repeated listens. The drumming is standard and provided by guest drummer Dave Chavarri of Ill Nino. “41 Shots” is the standout song of the album. It makes reference to the Amadou Diallo case in which four undercover NYPD officers fired 41 bullets at an un-armed man reaching for his wallet. The screams and growls of singer Jorge are great and he has the voice of a front man. The problem is that all these songs sound the same at some level. While hardcore was never really about variation, metal usually is. Jorge does have more of a metal voice than a hardcore voice, which makes him much easier to digest. During the breakdown there is a riff that is reminiscent of “Search and Destroy.” It will be easy to see this becoming a moshpit gem. Metal influences of old (Slayer, Metallica, Testament) are heard peppered throughout this album. Credit is due to Merauder for staying close to the original blueprint of metalcore and not branching out to include other influences that detract from the music. “Payback” is the best song that Killswitch Engage never wrote. The anger is spewed forth while the guitar rages. “No Warning” serves as a fitting title track as the band pounds out the aggression in a Pantera sort of way. The chorus is certain to whip up the crowds into a frenzy. “Underground Girl” sees an unexpected departure as compared to the rest of the album. Favoring a more traditional punk riff here, shades of Dead Kennedys are heard. This song also features the best solo on the album. Most of the solos were much poorer than this one is. The tragedy is Merauder proves with this song that the whole album could have had more variation.

With the spate of recent metalcore bands popping up, this release has very good timing. These pioneers of metalcore can show the new guys that the old generation still has a few tricks up their sleeves. A little more variation on the riffs would work but when you have been doing the same thing for 12 years, it does become a little hard. A solid release from one of the masters of the genre.

Killing Songs :
41 Shots, Payback
Jay quoted 69 / 100
Other albums by Merauder that we have reviewed:
Merauder - God Is I reviewed by Alex and quoted 68 / 100
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