Round 2: Fight! implies a sequel or follow up of sorts, but you’d be forgiven for any confusion that abounds upon realising this is Illyrian’s debut album. The Canadian thrash outfit used to go by the name Hellborn Death Engines, but changed their moniker last year after one full length release. The title of their latest effort is sure to leave voiceovers echoing in the minds of fighting game fans, but will Illyrian land a knockout blow or be left ruing their inability to defeat the dragon punch?
Illyrian primarily focus on thrash, with minor tinges of death metal laced throughout. This is primarily seen in the vocals, which switch between a defiant yelp and a coarser growl, occasionally backed by hardcore style gang shouts. There are also some death metal flourishes seen in some of the riffs and rhythmic approach, although there is a greater diversity in their approach to the music than there is to the vocals. The band seems to be trying to find a happy medium between two types of thrash; the straightforward, attitude ridden style reminiscent of the likes of early Anthrax and the more expansive, technical workings of a band such as Coroner. Unfortunately, Illyrian find themselves caught in purgatory between the two, never quite capturing the infectious energy of the former or the interesting explorations of the latter. What’s left is a largely muddled affair in which few songs ever truly come to life.
There are two tracks that rise to the occasion, both of which are on the latter half of the record. The first five songs just sort of meander by, with glimpses of quality scattered amongst them. Opener “Walking in Sunshine” builds up fairly well, only to be deflated by an average riff and some clumsy snare fills. Drummer Darren May is again a guilty party on “Opulent & Imperial” with some ill fitting bass drum work, not helped by the clunky kick sound, which leaves some nifty footwork sounding sloppy. Composition wise, it’s a bit of a mess, with a groovy riff midway through the only saving grace. The guitars also salvage “Chaotic Neutral” somewhat, a more structurally sound effort with some ultra tight chorus riffing.
Sixth track “Mindbender” is when the album awakes from its slumber, propelled by some tearaway riffs and a sense of urgency that is sadly lacking elsewhere. It’s the one song where everything comes together, with riffs and ideas that naturally progress from one another. “Five by Five” is its slightly lesser companion, another solid song that veers in a more technical, death metal direction. Unfortunately, the album drops off again after this duo, with a palpable lack of energy in the remaining three tracks. This is the biggest issue with Round 2!, with too many songs simply lacking any sort of power or clout. This is typified in closer “Sound of the Serpent Siren”, which has an absolute belter of a riff that doesn’t get the accompanying rhythmic pulse it deserves.
This is not an awful album by any means, but with the exception of two songs, it lacks any sort of memorable writing or hooks that will leave you wanting to come back for more. Bereft of the quality required to stand out in a genre with an ever growing population, Illyrian will need to do better to avoid getting lost in the shuffle.
Rating: 5/10 – “a tepid affair short on real quality”
Highlights: “Mindbender” “Five By Five (The Dark Slayer Comes)”
Band links: Facebook, Bandcamp
