Nowadays, the strangest projects in the music industry are tossed in the “indie” category, but lo and behold a really weird “metal” album has just breached the surface. Metroid Metal’s Expansion Pack focuses on epic chugs and lofty solos inspired by the original tracks of the Metroid video game franchise. To no surprise, MM have garnered respect from Nintendo Power magazine and the likes, and before labeling them a “gimmick” I have to admit these guys actually make substantial strides in the art of converting 8-bit ditties into metal music. Yet that doesn’t necessarily sound too glorious. Overall, the five-song EP is respectable (they know how to play their instruments), but can at times be tedious and over-involved. Basically, once each song gets going, there is really no digression or dynamic shift. Instead, Metroid Metal barely finds a way to make the next five seconds of a song a little louder and busier. “Brinstar,” for instance, sits on one riff for most of the song and keeps just enough interest by changing the drum and bass parts underneath.
Released on Silent Uproar Records, this five-song EP Is strictly instrumental, which at some points makes the experience less-than-exciting. But it is what it is. Given the challenge of transforming old gaming music, Metroid Metal does as good of a job as any. I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, but if you respect classic gaming you’ll definitely get a kick out of it.
Related Posts
(Silent Uproar, 1408 Whitman Dr., Concord, NC 28027)