I’ve got to be honest here, when I saw that EKPYROSIS where an unsigned band releasing a double-disc album, I was prepared for lots of aimless wanking in sore need of a third-party ear to reign the band in. Only a handful of bands can pull off a double album successfully (THERION anyone?), so I was actually slightly dreading my first listen through “All You Can Eat” (and the album title didn’t help matters).

As a Metal fan for many years now, I should know by now not to jump to conclusions without actually listening to the music, and I can only thank the powers at TMO for introducing me to a band I wouldn’t have given the time of day to otherwise. In other words, EKPYROSIS and “All You Can Eat” were much better than I expected – by a long shot. Now, that’s not to say that all is nice and rosy here, as the double-disc does have it’s fair share of flaws.

First, the mix – especially of the vocals (the harmonies in particular) – leaves a lot to be desired. The levels are inconsistent and often the vocals overtake everything else. The drums are also buried in the mix, especially in the softer songs, and the bass sound could have been a bit punchier. As for the guitars, they often battle the vocals for top billing, but the slightly thin tone put them at a distinct disadvantage. However, as an unsigned band, the mix/production issues are forgivable, even more so when so many signed bands put out records with a worse sound (not counting the intentionally shoddy productions that often come with Black Metal albums). As for less forgivable problems, vocalist Christian Gruber could use some vocal lessons. He sounds very fitting in the album’s heavier sections when his more aggressive voice shines (think of something along the lines of John Bush), but when faced with actually singing he struggles with staying on key. I truly believe he has the talent, but needs some help with focusing it. Also, as I feared, consistency in songwriting suffers in many spots on “All You Can Eat”. I'm willing to guess that EKPYROSIS wrote and recorded 16 songs (no more), and chose to include all of them on the album, rather than cutting some of their “babies”. And sometimes it’s not even a whole song (actually it rarely is), but is instead a particular section of a song that should have been cut. That’s where a professional, hands-on producer would really help. I’d love to hear an Andy Sneap or Tue Madsen type get a hold of EKPYROSIS and simply squeeze out all the negative parts.

Now the length of the above paragraph might make it seem like I don’t really like “All You Can Eat”, but it’s actually quite the contrary. In reality, I find at least most of every song to enjoyable and catchy, running the gambit from mid-paced rockers, to nearly Thrash-like bangers, to gloomy ballad-esque moments. While the slower numbers are enjoyable, EKPYROSIS really shine on the aggressive, fast songs, to the point where I can’t help but get excited during these particular tracks. Imagine PERZONAL WAR without the blatant METALLICA and RAGE worship, and you’ll have a great idea of what EKPYROSIS sound like on these tracks. I swear that album consisting entirely of these types of tracks would easily warrant a 9,5 out of 10 – they are that well written and performed. The atmospheric keyboards that hover in the background of many of the tracks are also much appreciated, lending even the slightly upbeat numbers a darker, foreboding tone. Then along comes “The Underground Is Where It Happens”, and the keyboards go all DEEP PURPLE, basically stating that all bets are off.

Despite the greatest part of this review focusing on the negatives of “All You Can Eat”, it’s really an overall fantastic album from an unsigned band that deserves to be (re)discovered. I believe my need to be a bit overly critical stems from the desire I feel when listening to this album to see EKPYROSIS improve and grow. Now considering the band has been releasing albums since 1995 (now five in total – two self-released, two on Mausoleum and one actually on Nuclear Blast), I don’t know how much more growing they’ll be doing, or how much a chance they have at getting signed again. But believe me, given another chance by a label, with a decent recording budget and a bit of a promotional push, and EKPYROSIS could very well storm the scene. I went into “All You Can Eat” with incredibly low expectations, and was quickly and firmly put in my place. The double-album is not without its flaws, but warts and all it’s one of the best albums from an unsigned band I’ve heard in a long, long while, and easily stands up against many of the signed bands’ albums I’ve been listening to lately.

(Online February 25, 2009)