By Matt Hinch
Orillia, Ontario’s Adrenechrome released their EP, Hideous Appetites last November. Around the time they landed an opening slot for the Corrosion of Conformity show in Barrie. A show that was booked relatively last minute when the show in Kingston was cancelled. Which I had a ticket for. Yes, I’m still upset. Anyway. Adrenechrome.
The young upstarts can really play. But can they write a good song? Well, yes and no. The “I love to rock” part of my brain excites at the catchy as barbed fish hook crossover thrash riffs. The “cynical critic” side isn’t as stimulated. As rockin’ as Hideous Appetites can be, Adrenechrome may be trying to cram too much into the EP.
The press release lists a raft of influences and if you listen hard you can pick out most of them as well as others While playing homage to those bands is admirable (They’re all pretty cool.) the method is somewhat patchy. It’s a little something I like to call “Megadeth Syndrome”. Trying to stuff as many riffs in a song as possible. In and of itself not a bad thing. Riffs are great but how they are transitioned is key. Too often Adrenechrome breaks from one to another with a violent inertia. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Then again, this might just be the cynic talking.
To get an idea of what I’m talking about, Hideous Appetites runs predominantly at the thrash end of the spectrum with heavy progressive leanings. Somewhat akin to what you would expect from a Mastodon/Municipal Waste hybrid. Drop in some breakdowns, swirling Eastern influence, sludge, grooved out slo-jams, banjo (?), and soloing and you have “The Horror”. Viking metal, Load-are Metallica, more stoner jams, technical wizardry and even chugging deathcore make appearances over the course of the EP.
Vocally just as many styles are heard. The various voices one would associate with the above mentioned genres are present (At one point he even sounds like Bruce Lamont of Yakuza) while never going so far as to become indecipherable.
As a young band Adrenechrome may just be starting to nail down exactly what they want to be. Hideous Appetites is a good start. With chops to spare (Mike Van Dyk is one sick bassist.) and a good grasp on hooks, they are pretty close. And I’m sure those lucky Barrie residents at the CoC show were treated to a rousingly splendid performance.
