Sacred Mother Tongue’s “Ruin of Man” release has surely one of the most amateurish and worst album covers I’ve seen in recent memory, the kind that seems to have been drawn by a ten-year old kid and could easily be overlooked at the record stores shelves. Fortunately, the music contained herein, though nothing groundbreaking or outstanding, is way better than its artwork. “Ruin of Man” is the group’s debut full-length work and it veers unconvincingly from a pounding metalcore to a slightly palatable rock-metal affair, a combination between heavy, hard-hitting moments and more melodic, softer ones that sounds a little unfocused at certain points. Sacred Mother Tongue certainly seem to be proficient and gifted musicians, but have yet to refine their song-writing skills and trim down some superfluous and insipid arrangements that go nowhere and prevents the songs from being truly memorable. They’re able to hold their own on each of the different genres of music they try to poke in. Be it in the power-metal driven “The Man You Tried to Hide” and “The Suffering” leaning slightly towards someone like Annihilator, the Swedish death-metal styling ala In Flames explored on “Anger on Reflection” and “Talking to the Ears of the Deaf”, or the metalcore affections revealed on “The End” and “Wake Up Call”, but as a whole it sounds a bit messy and confused.These guys are touted in UK press as the future of British metal, but I guess it’s too premature for such bold affirmation considering they still haven’t got what it takes to make into the premier league yet. (5.5/10)
Band info: www.myspace.com/sacredmothertongue
Label info: www.transcendrecords.com
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