Serbia isn’t perhaps known for its rampant metal scene, but we have encountered Quasarborn before when we had the pleasure of premiering one of their videos. Well, they’re back and this time with a full album of new tunes. Their sound straddles the line between rock and metal and A Pill Hard To Swallow gives us ten tracks to get to know them.
The metal edge is sharply displayed with opener “Mamula”. A frenetic pace and a near-thrash use of the kick drum ensure that the adrenaline levels are raised by the time the song proper begins. It’s a good indication of what’s to come, though does emphasise the band’s heavier persona. The title track seems to be in a similar vein, but breaks around halfway through for a trippy segment which perhaps links to the “pill” in the name. The sudden change lends a prog feel to the song, while “Bastion” pulls us back into the metal.
“Identity Catharsis” is another standout, this time verging more into the catchy heavy rock area that the likes of Papa Roach inhabit before crunching down again and bringing in vocals that would more suit a power metal release. It’s this straddling of genres that I think is Quasarborn’s strength. When they do throw a new sound at you, it’s not for long. It’s a taster, if you like. Enough for you to decide if you like this direction the song’s gone in before they circle back to their core of traditional hard rock/metal.
The most extreme version of this is the trippy, angst-ridden acoustic opening to “Stalemate With Suicide” which flows over you before the heavy guitars land on your head and start hitting you around the 1:30 mark. Then it turns into something dark and freaky, like a black metal version of Muse. And that’s only a third of the way into this nine-minute epic which also es through a speed metal phase. Hey, why not?
“The Ascent” acts as an intro to “Clouds”, another song which really stands out. Powerful, uplifting yet still chunky, there’s a great bluesy guitar solo about three minutes in. “The HUmbling” rounds things off with a foot-stomping rhythm which builds to a crescendo and – unusually these days – a fade-out.
While not an instant classic, A Pill Hard To Swallow has a lot going for it, especially in of its ambitiousness. Impressively, it hits the mark far more often than not. Sometimes it pays to set your sights high, and in this case wide.
A Pill Hard To Swallow is out now – grab it on Amazon and help this page
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