I think Eternal Decision got tired of hearing the Metallica comparison, and decided to trash that. With this new album Ghost in the Machine they forge a new sound for themselves.
Still playing crunchy groove metal, the band threw out the standards and just did whatever came to mind. The songs are original and tight. The vocals are the weak point here, not that they are bad, but they just don't grab me like some bands do. Truth is I only dislike the vocals on about half of the song, the other half seem to be really good. Just on that half I don't like, they are, well standard.
One of the best tracks on this CD is song 2, "Strength" however I've got to say the opening sample is simply cheesier than anything found in Wisconsin. It's a message machine from an apartment complex saying they have called security, followed by a sample from the movie The Mask that says "Ewwwww somebody stop me." The music comes in and thankfully this song is soooo good, and you soon forget about the intro...until it starts up again that is.
The drumming really stands out on this album. WOW! Kirk Campbell really out did himself on this one! I can't think of one track where he's not just simply tearing it up.
The guitars are crazy thick on songs like "Ghost in the Machine", and "Blindsided" you feel you're being crushed by them. In the midst of all this metal groove, they throw in the song "Alien" which is basically an attempt at an industrial sound. It's really good, but unexpected. In the middle of this decidedly industrial song, they break out into a short thrash piece. This song just keeps you going.
"Without Shelter" is the only song I really dislike. It's the typical metal ballad sounding song. I've heard 'em before, I'll hear 'em again, but you can't make me like listening to 'em.
Lyrics you ask? Well the lyrics aren't OVERTLY Christian I'd say but they make it pretty obvious what they are getting at. Take this part from "Killing Me:"
(It's Killing Me)I need your strength
(It's Killing Me)I need release
(It's Killing Me)Please God help me
It's Killing Me
In this one the intense non-believer might be able to say "Well the word God was used as an exclamation. Indeed they do this later on the CD in "Thru This Pain:"
Oh Lord, Gotta help me make it through all this pain
Certainly Christians will say these are both direct spoken words to "God" and "Lord" but the structure is such that it could be considered exclamation. The big problem I see is those are the ONLY references to God, Jesus and Lord anywhere in the lyrics. Yes they do still talk about Christian topics it's just done in a more stealth like manner. Don't get me wrong the lyrics are NEVER non-Christian, just they aren't blatant, and I think that's what Eternal Decision was striving for.
Groove fans check into this one. I've listened to it countless times. It's an all around excellent release. Lots of distros have this one check 'em out.
7.5/10
Other coverage for this album
Art for the Ears 2000Reviewed by Marco PovervestOkay, skip the first track. It's just a silly intro. The first song, Breaking, comes next. It shows that Eternal Decision hasn't been sitting idle since the titleless album. That record featured vocals that sounded like an imitation of Metallica's James Hetfield. On this new one that's not so evident anymore. The music itself has evolved into something more mature. Still there's a slight…HM Magazine #79Reviewed by David BixlerWell, after having heard rumors that these guys had broken up, here they come with a brand new CD. It seems like they decided to shrug off most of the Metallica soundscapes that dominated their first disc. What ensues is some seriously crunchy, very tightly played, thrashy heavy metal. Though perhaps nothing completely new-sounding, this CD sounds very good, with great song-writing and a very…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Josh SpencerThis sophomore effort by former Metallica rip-offs Eternal Decision is a textbook lesson in downtuned riffery. There's the chug. The gallop pick. The stop-and-go. The stutter. The building mosh. The buzzing groove. The march of doom. The hammer. If you've listened to heavy music much at all, you've heard them countless times. Which makes Ghost in the Machine enjoyable in a very base, low brain…Similar sounding releases
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