Tracklist:-
1. Resolution
2. Revolution
3. Politics
4. Innovate
5. Capitalism
6. Deliverance
7. Catharsis
8. Propaganda
9. Hope
10. Nomadic
11. Ambivalence
12. Restoration
Northumberland isn't the sort of place you'd expect an up-and-coming modern metal band to reside, but Guardian dispel that idea right away. After releasing their debut EP in 2014 and appearing on Rock Sound Magazine's cover mount CD, they toured Europe with Mexican metallers Frozen Remains. They put that live experience to good use when they returned to write their debut full-length, which was self-released earlier this year.
I think modern British metal has lost it’s way slightly recently, due to the proliferation of melodic hardcore bands and the like. I’m not saying that I don’t like those bands but a bit more variation amongst young bands is a good thing. After rousing instrumental intro Resolution, Guardian explodes into the title-track which is a mix of metalcore and thrash. They seem to take influences from a number of bands and they’ve created a heavy sound as a result, with some electronic effects here and there. Thankfully it’s not full of Meshuggah-isms and the vocals are very strong. Politics is like and old-school death metal song and while it’s been touched up with modern production, it still means business. Their songs are clearly written for maximum impact and Innovate is huge. The percussion and the guitars create the perfect brutal backdrop for those blood-curdling roars. It’s all about maximum attack with Guardian!. If you shut your eyes for a minute, Guardian could be the epitome of modern Swe-death on Capitalism, but with added hardcore. They don’t rest in between songs either and as soon as Capitalism ends, Deliverance rips your a new one. Even when they throw in an atmospheric mid-section, it does nothing to temper their energy and momentum. Catharsis seems to be the definition (of the word) in musical form, as it’s breakdowns smash you repeatedly. They switch back to a more straight-forward metal blueprint on Propaganda and to be honest, this is when they are at their best in my opinion. Hope starts off with the simplest but best lead riffs and then replaces them with atonal bludgeoning. Thankfully as the songs kicks in properly, the lead melody is back and so is Guardian’s signature sound. They still remind me of Soilwork in parts, which is no bad comparison. Those pesky electronic effects are back during Nomadic, but they’re only used sparingly. The song itself is off-kilter and it sounds totally alive! When modern bands play with this level of assurance, they’re a joy to listen to. They are anything but ambivalent on Ambivalence (sorry!). They just do what they know and that’s what’s so refreshing about Revolution as a debut album. Guardian aren’t trying to re-invent the wheel, they know their strengths and they write bloody good metal to boot. Ending it all with gang-chants and high-octane thrash on Restoration means that this record will be deeply embedded in your brain for weeks to come. Not quite saviours of British metal yet, but they will be in the future. Top stuff!
You can stream the album and purchase it digitally below:-
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