Review SHRAPNEL “In Gravity”

Shrapnel hail from Norwich, England and it was in 2009 that the band was founded in England’s south-east. As the name implies, Shrapnel are a thrash metal band, and this was certainly the case in their early days, considering the raging ‘The Boundaries Set’ from their second album ‘Raised on Decay’.

These days the band releases their fourth strike with ‘In Decay’ and the thrash metal roots are still present in songs like the title track. With support from Scott Kennedy (Bleed From Within) the start of “In Gravity” is hard-hitting and furious. A new chapter is what fans will experience when listening to ‘Amber Screams’. The song, which deals with substance abuse, contains some wild screams but is mainly reminiscent of some thunderous grunge moments. The song is still heavy and at the same time a step away from what the band delivered on their first records.

A song that is more in line with the thrash roots is the following “Guardian”, which is a wild ride and the foot on the pedal is also the approach of “Breaker”. But instead of just following such a blasting formula, Shrapnel build in some twists that intensify the heaviness, like during “Breaker”.

The songs on “In Gravity” are more varied than expected, which also applies to the atmospheric ‘Dark Age’. The four-piece haven’t compromised on power, but have given their sound a more modern twist. Another moment on the album that reflects this approach is the song “Absolution”. The acoustic intro, the rising power, the furious solo parts and the atmospheric expression; all combined in one song.

With ‘Rust’ and ‘Kingmaker’ at the end of the track list, the album features two boisterous songs that show a band that still knows how to impress with riff power.

“In Gravity” is an interesting album in terms of musical development. Shrapnel don’t break out of a given framework, but expand it. There are more layers and twists woven into these songs than I expected, at least. “In Gravity” still sounds thunderous and heavy, which makes it an interesting release.