Fury – Fury (EP) & ‘Burn The Earth’ Review

The first time I heard of Fury was at Hammerfest IV earlier this year when they were added to the bill at short notice.  I absolutely loved their set in Wales and with Hammerfest fading into memory I was only too happy to review their two offerings; Fury (EP) and Burn the Earth.

First up is Fury (EP) which is a 5 track cd.  The first thing you notice when you press play is that you feel like you know this already.  This is good old fashioned metal at its best.  Everything in this EP has been blended perfectly to give the full force of each element; guitars, drums, bass, and of course those vocals.  ‘Faith That Would Kill’ begins the EP and those guitars immediately tell you you’ve not made a mistake in choosing to press play. The pace in this song is nice and steady, with plenty of opportunity to bang your head and throw your hair about.  Add to that the great piece of guitar work halfway through and you have no other option but to move in time to the beat.

Two tracks later is ‘Eyes Of The Dead’, a song in which the vocals take centre stage throughout, supported by the rhythmic chugging of guitars and drum beats.   ‘War Machine’ follows and changes track slightly – not least because it starts with the sound of an air raid siren – but there is clearly a different feel to this song.   Instrumentally it’s a bit lighter than its predecessors, though maintaining that distinct, steady rhythm.    In opposition, the vocals on this track are lower, slightly meaner, a tad more gritty and nicely in keeping with the name of the track.

I could listen to each song on this EP time and time again (and so far I have) but if I’m pushed to choose a favourite, then at the moment it would have to be the final track; ‘Purgatory’.  It has a more classic beginning than the other tracks and the rhythm of it throughout just makes you move your head and fists in time.  In addition, the stretching out of the word ‘purgatory’ in the chorus just encourages you to shout along.

 

Track list

1 – Faith That Would Kill

2 – Dawn Of Survival

3 – Eyes Of The Dead

4 – War Machine

5 – Purgatory

 

Next up is Burn The Earth and you can hear the progression from the previous offering straight away.  The title track ‘Burn The Earth’ continues nicely in the same vein, but takes it a step further; it feels like they are more charged up and just itching to get in your face and show you how it’s done.  I would love to hear this song start a festival set as I think it would work well as a call to arms (or call to the front of the stage, whatever you prefer).

A little later comes ‘In To The Dark’ which begins as the title suggests, with a darker, more foreboding feel to it – leading you shortly into those lovely guitars, holds back and then brings in again that fast, incessant drumming.  I could wax lyrical about this song for many more lines, but what I want to say is just to tell you to go and listen to it.  This is a great song and one that I very much hope I get to hear at one of their upcoming gigs.

Last on the track list is ‘Life Eternal’, which is a good choice for the last song on this 4 track CD.  I have been listening to each song while writing this review, and every time this song leaves me wanting to listen to each song all over again.

 

 

 

Track list

1 – Burn The Earth

2 – Dangerous World

3 – In To The Dark

4 – Life Eternal

 

Overall, there are several things in my personal opinion that are characteristically Fury.  In the drums and guitar work you can clearly hear the thrash influences coming out in their music.  The drumming on these two cds is just straight in your face, solid, incessant, fast and every other word to describe what drumming on a metal album should be.  Then there’s the guitars and there’s by no means anything lacking here if you’re looking to hear shredding and just plain, good guitar work   As is expected, each song has its own personality and the guitars and bass (do not forget that bass) adjust throughout, helping to create those distinct yet subtle shifts perfectly.

If you took these elements and just listened to those, you may very well be expecting a deeper, more gruff vocal style.  However, I wouldn’t trade Julian’s vocals for any number of other styles.  His voice is one of those unique elements of this band.   From the fact that you can hear every word (not always the case as I’m sure you know) to feeling the switch in the notes, to the changing of rhythms, to the fact that he’s just so good to listen to, makes him an ideal choice as front man.

I was very impressed at Hammerfest IV with this band and the more I listen to these two cds the more and more I like them.  I give both offerings a very high recommendation to you all and can only suggest that you take the time to go and listen.  With this review done I will now move onto the next album on my review list, but I can guarantee that I will be keeping Fury on my playlist for a long time to come.

 

 

About Rowena

Interviewer, Reviewer, Radio DJ (Metal Nymph Presents) and Digital Media Wizard at Planetmosh.