EP REVIEW: Genocidal Bakken batter the world with latest release

A COUPLE of years Bakken exploded on to the Northern Ireland scene with the release of their 'Death of a Hero' album, jam-packed with thrash and power metal, and the occasional doff of the cap towards Celtic roots.

From then on the band crafted out their sound with a series of gigs which notably saw them tighten their sound and delivery.

Now, at the tail end of 2014 the metal quartet are about to release their ep 'Worldwide Genocide' a five track flurry of riffs and high speed groove.

From the moment that the bridge and solo on 'Judgement Day' kicks in you can see a band confident in delivering both furious guitar work, while still retaining the integrity of the song: something which Dave Mustaine sometimes forgets. And, at times Simon Pickett's does unconsciously resemble the ginger one.

'Master Illusion' takes the chops of the second wave of thrash and wraps it in a tight blanket of NWOBHM much favoured by the likes of 'Tallica and Anthrax. That's not a criticism - it's a compliment. At the two minutes 15 second mark then change of pace perfectly exemplifies how Bakken can break down the elements of the influences into something fresh.

Simon and Mark-Anthony McGinnis's guitar work manage to weave around each other without overwhelming the track's sound.

Keeping the integrity of the sound is key, otherwise Adrian Stockman's bass could be lost. Thankfully it stays at the right level on 'Evil Walks This Way' with Niall McGrotty's drums maintaining a dynamic in a well arranged track with real flair.

We can see this one as a real live favourite as their is a real mix of thrash and the better aspects of power metal;  as well as having a balance throughout that showcases all the member's talents.

'Inescapable', while in itself is a solid track, at times wanes, and the influence of Mustaine on Simon's vocals again occasionally creeps in. The song is saved by Niall's metronomic and well timed double bass and a manic series of riffs. After two minutes the guitar work manages to resurrect what could have been a mundane thrasher, especially the melody work.

Rounding off the ep is 'Gaia'  which clocking in at over five minutes 20 is the longest track on the release. This is where Bakken plant their flag, stand with feet soundly planted on the soil of metal and deliver.

This has all the elements you could wish for: riffage, shouted backing vocals from Niall, Simon strident in his delivery as he paints a dystopian vision of the planet's fate. There is enough variety in the arrangement to avoid it becoming just another thrash track. The delicate acoustic moment (and it is a brief moment) builds into a crescendo of guitar work, which like 'Sasquatch' from the last release, showcases a flurry of Celtic infused melody solos. Truly a lesson in how to meld where you come from into your chosen genre. There's even a piano sequence as a coda!

After 'Death of a Hero' you could very well have expected Bakken to keep the similar themes going. Rather than that they have stretched themselves that little bit further on 'Worldwide Genocide' without leaving their core sound and values.

One hopes that this ep will serve as a bridge to further live success and getting noticed further afield.

Review by Jonny

 

Worlwide Genocide is officially launched at The Distortion Project on Saturday, 20th December at Limelight 2. Doors are at 5pm.

Bakken will headline with support from Irish mentalists Psykosis and young thrash upstarts Donum Dei

Door tax is £5 and usual drink promos are available

Ballsy Bakken burst forth with power début

REGULAR readers know we here at Belfastmetalheadsreunited have no time for labels. Yeah, sometimes you need to add a wee classification, but if it's good metal, hard rock or punk then that's all needs to be said.

Bakken could, potentially have several labels attached to them, but they deserve more than to be labelled as thrash/classic metal/NWOBHM/power metal crossovers. The sum of the parts is more - much more
Having burst forth from seemingly nowhere they have produced a life-affirming album, Death Of A Hero, which is to be released in September. Hold on to your hats people, because Bakken have produced a spectacular début platter.

For a band who have had their fair share of turmoil and tragedy is remarkable that they have emerged with fists pumping, guitars roaring and a pounding defiance that whaever fate has thrown their way they can emerge stronger.

Album opener Darkest Day is eight minutes plus of snarl, riffs, rumbling with a Maiden-esque rhythm and a contemporary structure. Niall McGrotty's drums and Brian O'Kane's bass the power-house upon which the song is built.

With Simon Pickett's vocals dripping with attitude the flesh of the track is on Pickett's and Mark-Anthony McGinnis's twin guitar attack the template is set for the rest of the album.

Up next Mystic Mogul and Cursed are now available from the band to listen to for free. Mogul has more than a slice of NWOBHM at its heart, with Pickett's vocals taking a slightly higher tone, emphasising the roots of the song. Cursed [sampler below] has more of a contemporary feel; steady paced and chopped chords breaking up the riffs; married with a chant of the title makes a perfect setting for the middle eighths and breakdowns.

However, debts any twin guitar act have to their predecessors must be paid: self-proclaimed Lizzy fan Pickett pays that debt in full in Sasquatch, with a Celtic feelign series of harmony guitars layering together nicely.

The album closer Voyage of Aodh is perhaps where the depth of the band can be found. After a heavy opening, subtleties of structure, slower sections and emotive lyrics build up over almost eight minutes; there is a feeling in the complexities of prog metal, a dash of black metal and a cap nicely doffed to the likes of In Flames, pace varies, tempos change before a headlong rush of melodic guitar lines, underpinned with impressive drum lines and rampant bass.

In pulling together this album - other tracks are the equally impressive Back to the Future, Get Back to Your Feet, and Fortress of Evil - Bakken have laid down a marker of future intent. All in all a welcome addition to the local output that surprises with its depth and delights with its structures in this ballsy début release

Forged in fire, tempered by tragedy

"GOOD music is something to fall back on in tough times." The words of Bakken's Simon Pickett, when we caught up with the lead singer and guitarist of Northern Ireland outfit Bakken as they prepare to launch their début album 'Death of a a Hero' in just over a month's time.

And Bakken are a band that knows how much it means to have music pull you through. Simon contracted a serious illness and another band member lost a close relative in tragic circumstances. But as a result of this Bakken have pulled through, are a tighter unit and make what statements they need through their music.

Simon spoke to us about the process of recording the album enabled them to move on, grow and develop - reflecting as many readers of this blog know, metal isn't always about darkness.

"It's fair to say that some of the band has had a horrible last few years," he said. "But as I'm sure most metal fans do, I always feel that good music is something to fall back on in tough times.

"When we started the band I was still quite sick and was obviously quite depressed, but I found that airing some of the negative emotions and frustrations I felt through music was a really cathartic process and helped me through it.

And that catharis has produced an inner strength; "For me, heavy metal (or at least the bands I like) always have a positive vibe or an element of strength and hope in the music and this was the same for me when I was writing the songs.

"I like to think that this really stands out in our music too and that other people listening to it can find the positive messages in there and be inspired themselves.."

That musical inspiration can be something apparent as musicians step on to the stage, when a mixture of nerves, angst and excitement bubble into the best of sets. Getting ready for the studio is a different matter.

Simon explained that Bakken were prepared for the challenge: "We actually had the songs very well mapped out as demos and practiced them hard before we gigged them, so that made things a lot easier in the studio.

"Having said that, the pro level studio experience was new adventure for all of us and it took us a bit longer than originally planned to record the whole album, mostly due to the complex nature of some of the songs."

They also had - like many taking to a professional studio for the first time - the challenge of making sure that the live vibe was not lost in the studio.

"Capturing the live feel was quite difficult but was important for us," said Simon. "Specifically we wanted to avoid using a constant unchangeable click track beat wherever possible as this can make some sections sound dull and monotonous.

"We also stayed true to the equipment we use live and tried to resist the temptation of layering the instruments too much. Most of the time there are only two rhythm guitars playing which retains the percusive raw edge to the sound; the vocals also have a raw live feel about them too."

So what can the listener expect from Bakken? The one-sheet explains that they are a mix of classic metal, NWOBHM and thrash. It's a heady mix on Death of a Hero [Review to come later] with early Bruce era-Maiden, Diamond Head, and Thin Lizzy caught up in structures and styles fans of the likes of In Flames, and the better Trivium songs will recognise. They are all clear influences, but they are not slavishly followed.

"The influences are quite obvious to those versed in classic metal," explained Simon. "As the main song writer my main influences come from my love of 70s and 80s rock and metal, Thin Lizzy, Queen, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Helloween, etc.            

"Niall is a hard hitting drummer who is a fan of very heavy contemporary bands and is very skilled at fast “double kick” drums, something we used a lot in the album; also Mark-Anthony (the second guitarist) is also a huge thrash metal fan (as I am too), so combined with these harder influences I like to think we have created a fairly unique sound that doesn't compromise on either melody or heaviness."

But it's not just metal that Simon draws his influences from - he has a musical reference point in common with the late Cliff Burton.

"In terms of finding unique inspiration, I often listen to classical music (composers like Mozart and Bach) [Burton was a skilled classical musician who cited Bach frequently] which has definitely opened up my mind to incorporating innovative approaches to composition.

"For instance, a lot of the time, the two guitars and the bass are playing different things, which when added together give a full, more complex sound. You mentioned contemporary influences like Trivium; some people often comment that we sound a bit like them, although I wouldn't say this would be a result of a direct influence but more probably from a shared set of classic metal influences. That's not to say there aren't any modern bands that influence our style; personally I am a huge fan of melodic death metal bands like Children Of Bodom and In Flames, these influences often creep in to our music too, so its a real mixing pot I think."

Death of a Hero is the soundtrack of a band that has emerged from dark times, who have feen forged in fires of misfortune, but used tragedy to temper their attitude into an honest reflection of how metal can birth hope, and, as epitomised by the words of Simon brings hope and strength.

Review to come later...