Album Reviews : Internal Nightmare – Segregation

Every article and review I have read for this EP have had one thing in common; they all suck up Internal Nightmare’s arse. It’s a solid piece of work, but no masterpiece, this is a debut release after all. So here’s an honest interpretation from a true metal head who lives and breathes metal, and actually gets out there on the local scene to watch and perform metal on a regular basis.

“Restraint” starts off brilliantly and pumps up until the insanely groovy main riff. The guitars are catchy and the vocals are suitable slow death growls. The singer is a little hard to understand (it is death metal after all) but what you do catch is always prolific and meaningful, definite crowd pleasing material. You could just imagine the mic being held into the audience; “PLEASE JUST LET ME DIE!” Some nice low key breakdowns, done well, make sure these guys don’t get dumped into the over crowded deathcore genre.

“The Term is Frustration” is all guns blazing from the get go and if you aren’t in the moshpit circle head banging, you’ll wish you were; fairly standard groove death, done well. The pinch harmonics are a nice touch but sound like they were recorded by a third guitar down the street and are too soft in volume. Some nice solo work leads back into the chorus but there is this weird ringing chime sound and I can’t work out if it is the ride or an effect, but thankfully it is not too distracting.

The third track “Annexation” starts off with the lamest out of time drum sample that sounds like it was done from a touch pad drum machine, with the token single ride hit at the end that has been done to deathcore… pardon the pun. The track loses a little steam that the first two songs built up and just paces along uneventfully. There is some nice bass tones when we hear bass alone, followed by some catchy riffage but otherwise more of a filler track.

Track 4 , “Birth” has nothing great to offer and it feels like the wheels are slowing down on the EP. It starts to stray a little onto the boring side, going for a technical stop/start prog feel.

The closing track, aptly entitled “Closed Loop of Creation”, immediately grabbed my attention. The atmosphere is trance-like and effects are used to perfection. It seems like this song belongs from a future release where Internal Nightmare have grown and really found their roots; definitely the best off the EP. The middle of the song has a Fear Factory sound, which is a great compliment. Clocking in at only 3.15, I am left wanting more, I will have to put this on loop as the title suggests. This is crazy as the middle of the EP simply drags on too long.

Over all, like I said, a solid release, with equal parts groove, thrash, and some epic moments, with a dash of generic and boring thrown in as to not give these guys a big head. If  the final track is anything to go off, I look forward to where Internal Nightmare go with their writing and structures in the future.

Band: Internal Nightmare
Album: Segregation EP
Year: 2010
Genre: Metal
Label: Independent
Origin: Melbourne, Australia
http://www.myspace.com/internalnightmare

Track listing:
1. Restraint
2. The Term is Frustration
3. Annexation
4. Birth
5. Closed Loop of Creation <- Reviewers choice