SCAR OF THE SUN: Inertia

SCAR OF THE SUN
Inertia

NAPALM

7/10

GREEK MELODIC DEATH METAL: Combining the melodic death metal elements of fellow Europeans In Flames, Soilwork, and Gojira, Greek metallers Scar of the Sun deliver a mostly powerful performance on their third full-length, Inertia.

“Hydrogen,” a traditional airy and atmospheric album opener, spends a minute and half building anticipation to the album’s title track, which hits hard early and often, registering as one of the album’s best tracks right off the rip. “I Am the Circle,” featuring vocalist Chrysa Tsaltabasi, continues the aural onslaught with churning riffs and melodic hooks that create a heavy underlying groove, and there’s even a breakdown thrown in for good measure. “Quantum Leap Zero I: Torque Control,” the first of a trio of thematic tracks dealing with the political events that transpired in Greece in 2015, delivers galloping leads in addition to one of the album’s most memorable hooks. “Quantum Leap Zero II: Transition to Turbulence” continues that dynamic with frontman Terry Nikas leading the way through guttural vocals that manage to go from harsh to harsher, all backed by a frenetic pace from the bands rhythm section. Tsaltabasi returns on the ballad “Oxygen,” far and away the most melodic track of Inertia, before “The Fallible Experiment,” which features Nikolaos Kazazis, returns Inertia back to form. The melodic moments of “Quantum Leap Zero III: Thrust” fall flat, but rebound on the mid-tempo “Singularity Collapse,” a track that breathes some life in Inertia this late in the track list. “Zenith to Minos” is one of the album’s more well rounded tracks, and closer “Anastasis” caps off the record with one more truly heavy entry. Fittingly enough, the last words spoken on Inertia are “fuck this,” which is very apropos.

Inertia is a well paced journey, one not without its peaks and valleys, but one worth undertaking nevertheless. It’s a record that offers more good moments than not. ~ Brian Campbell