Proving that they can satisfy in a variety of different ways, whether it be with the machine gun-esque bass pedal on their drums or through top-notch guitar work and well-crafted lyrics, metal act Five Hundredth Year are the type of metal band that has an awesome duality.
While they can and will appeal to fans of Breaking Benjamin, Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed and even Rob Zombie, they have mainstream sensibilities thanks to vocal work that is so much more than angsty. Sure, there’s screaming, growling and anger there, but you can hear it all- you can connect with it.
While several of the tracks on the EP “Awaken in Silence†and “Stand Up†for example, have excellent drum work, thanks to Zach Hanus and frenetic guitar riffs (Ben Moss, Jimmers) and shouldn’t be overlooked, it’s the vocal work of bassist Brenda Bennett that adds something “extra†to the other tunes on the EP. On “Breaking Point,†Bennett sounds almost like a siren. She has the power to sway ships here, make no mistake
On the other hand, “Blame†is a fast-paced track that could be the theme song for a rocker-type WWE superstar. From the steady drum work and the awesome lyrics, it’s a fight night anthem with a ton of vocal depth. On “Talking Body†lead vocalist John Pampreen plays with his voice a bit and although he sounds more mainstream rock than metal, the sound is amazing thanks to vocal variety, a wonderful hook and fantastic guitar work. And again, thanks to the influx of a few vocal lines from Bennett, the track is more than your standard metal fare.
Simply put, while Five Hundredth Year sounds similar to bands the likes of Breaking Benjamin and Five Finger Death Punch, it is their dynamic vocal chemistry and not their otherwise solid musicianship that sets them apart from the myriad of other Metal bands out there. Their drum work, guitar and bass lines can hold their own with any other metal band in the business, but solid two-part vocal harmony and well-crafted lyrics is what makes them a special group.
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