Kayser - Frame The World...Hang It On The Wall
Scarlet Records
Thrash Metal
12 songs (48:46)
Release year: 2006
Kayser, Scarlet Records
Reviewed by Dylan
Along with the likes of Susperia and Imagika, we have yet another band carrying the torch of polished, groovy, and catchy modern day Thrash. Not to be lumped together with thrashers that focus more on aggression, such as Watch Them Die, or Carnal Forge, Kayser specialize in banging the heads of those that happen to be within hearing distance, while crafting choruses with enough stickiness to remain in your head for at least a few minutes after the album’s completion. Fans of vocalist Spice, who fronted the respected classic metal throwback band, Spiritual Beggars, will immediately recognize the vocal power he is able to deliver to each song, only this time with the adrenaline of a solid thrash band flowing with him.

All of the songs on Frame the World… Hang It On The Wall follow a very familiar, verse-pre-chorus-chorus-solo formula that is not going to twist any heads, boggle any minds, or challenge any ears. In terms of production values, this album pretty much hit the spot. The drums have a balanced mix, the guitars are crunchy, the bass makes its presence known, and Spice has more than enough breathing room for his vocals. What we have a here is a band that knows how to put together a riff or two. Check out the opening one found in The Cake, or the killer grooving riff in the middle of Born Into This, sounding like it came straight off of Slayer’s Divine Intervention. All the musicians that make up Kayser are very solid at what they do, but no particular member stands out on his own. This is not necessarily a bad thing, everything is quite tight and is void of any selfish wankery, and as a result, Spice steals the show. When his powerful, throaty voice doesn’t have the ominous touch found in the excellent chorus of The Cake, it has a pissed off snarl, such as the one contained in the verse of Lost In The Mud. However, what he has in delivery, he lacks in variety. Almost every verse has the same rhythm to it and grows a bit tiresome by the fourth track.

Unfortunately, Absence throws a wrench in the otherwise energetic flow of the album, by being a boring, emotionally flat ballad that doesn’t get wherever the hell it is trying to go. Things immediately pick up again with Turn To Grey getting the album back on its familiar track, with another mid-paced, anthemic chorus for you to wrap your ears around. After this midpoint, there are only two tracks that really stand out. The first is Fall, a short, mellow guitar interlude that sounds like it could have been the into to a Spiritual Beggars track. It’s quite soothing, a bit melancholic, and a nice change of pace from the rest of the album. The album then finishes quite nicely, with the previously mentionedBorn Into This oozing desperation from its soaring chorus, and album closer Jake finishing the album in a manner that is quite similar to how it started.

In the end, the best thing this album has going for it is it’s solidity. Variety suffers, but almost every track can stand on its own and deliver the goods for those looking for a thrash with some hard rock leanings. Fans of Spiritual Beggars shouldn’t have to make too drastic of a leap in taste, for even though Kayser is substantially more aggressive than Spice’s old band, things never venture into the realm of extreme metal in any aspect. Recommended for those who are just looking for a good headbanging time; not for those who would otherwise expect something groundbreaking.
Killing Songs :
The Cake, Evolution, Fall, and Born Into This
Dylan quoted 78 / 100
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