NAME IN VAIN - review added 3rd September 2010
Album Review: Persecuted (2010)
For fans of: Heavy Metal... and a good dose of hardcore
Name In Vain - Matt Pelosi on vocals, John Heroux on bass, Scott Trudeau on guitar, and Marco Leva on drums - hail from Rhode Island in the US state of New England.
Their last release was an eponymous EP which we reviewed in March last year. It was a characterful 4-track that was far from perfect, but enjoyable for it's attitude and sheer power.
"Persecuted" theoretically continues from where the EP left off. Unfortunately, and I was disappointed to see this, the new album includes all four tracks from the EP. Shame, because anyone who spent money on it wasted a few hard earned bucks. It would have been nice if "Persecuted" was all original material. Yes, the versions here - 'Persecuted', 'Back Down', 'Crept', and 'Pitbull Wings' - are rerecorded (or at the very least boast better-production), but that doesn't excuse their inclusion.
As a whole, the music on "Persecuted" is a thunderous heavy metal take on the sort of stuff bands like Biohazard and Sick Of It All pump out. Since that EP the guys haven't moved their game on a long way, so this is still rustic stuff that's more characterful than brilliant...but it does have a charm. Matt Pelosi's vocals aren't always 100% in tune, but he gives it maximum attack the whole time. Combine that with the pounding musicianship and you get a record that constantly needs playing at full-volume. This is NOT a subtle release.
It's hard to pick a top-track as they all offer a similar level of enjoyment. 'Pitbull Wings' arguably has the fattest riff of all, but clearly we have to ignore that on moral grounds...
Overall, "Persecuted" is a decent slab of boisterous metal. It's let down by a lack of refinement and the fact four of the songs aren't original. It claws back ground by being so damn enjoyable to pump at maximum attack on the car stereo. I have absolute faith that Name In Vain will be a great act to see live, so the fact their album is a little underwhelming doesn't matter.
Check out... The violence of it all.
Track List:
01. Seething Red
02. Barely Breathing
03. Darkness Shines
04. Tic Toc
05. Persecuted
06. Back Down
07. Hail Mary
08. Inner Sin
09. Crept
10. Pitbull Wings
11. Gone Away
12. Tree Man
Artist's website(s): Name In Vain | MySpace | Facebook
