Search - Stonegard :: Arrows

Kenneth W. (Eyesore) from TAUNTON, MA
Reviewed on 12/4/2007...

Never judge a book by its cover, they say. Good advice. Upon first glance at Arrows by Norway's Stonegard, one might me tempted to believe this is some sort of stoner-doom band. Quite the contrary; aside from the stoner rock-like album cover and seemingly apt band name, Stonegard is much more an alternative metal band than anything else, but with more of an extreme approach. They are called a stoner rock band, but I really don't hear it. They do manage to pull in some contrasting styles to make something of a unique sound -- black/death metal riffs, melodic passages, old school 70's rock, traditional heavy metal, grunge, nu-metal, and even a little southern rock. But I think they're versed in a more alternative metal style. Unfortunately, however, while Stonegard has managed to create quite a solid and competent menagerie of sounds and offer a nice dose of originality, Arrows simply lacks truly memorable songs.

Arrows starts out with "Ghost Circles," a short instrumental, and then kicks off with the title track, a song that initially disguises itself as a melodic death metal track. However, the vocals and verse riffs betray that notion. This song is the prototypical Stonegard song. It's dynamic and interesting, but lacking of a truly solid hook, something that warrants repeat, on-the-spot listens. Some tracks like "Resistance" and "Goldbar" offer a more melodic distraction from the monotony, but again, they lack that endearing quality that would make this a great album. All is not lost, though; Arrows is most definitely not a bad album. In fact, it's quite good; but generally this is going to be a one-and-done album, something you'll enjoy occasionally, but not wish to play over and over again. Stonegard definitely has a unique formula to work with here; they simply need to focus on creating something a bit more alluring next time out.

Website: http://www.stonegard.org
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/stonegard

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The best parts of my favorite genres, recombined & distilled

Robert Stewart | New York, NY United States | 03/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I discovered Stonegard on Pandora. I heard their single "Arrows" and fell in love immediately. Went out and bought their disc first chance I had. Here's what to expect... take the melodic driving metal of InFlames, but replace Ander's screamed vocals with soulful singing reminiscent of Soundgarden era Chris Cornell. Then they also slow things down sometimes and have an Alice in Chains sound, complete with a Lane Staley-esque vocals. Sections of a few songs could be off of Dirt. This is a good thing people. Stonegard skillfully and artfully recombine the best elements of their influences into something wonderful that is definitely greater than the sum of its parts."