Coldseed
Completion Makes The Tragedy

August 2006
Released: 2006, Nuclear Blast/Sound Pollution
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Anders Sandvall

Coldseed is the product of the co-operation between Björn “Speed” Strid of Soliwork and ex-Blind Guardian drummer Thomen Stauch, who is currently a member of Savage Circus. My bio states that Coldseed will surprise the entire metal community with their modern, melodic and sophisticated new brand of heavy music, and I can do nothing but agree.



Coldseed plays modern heavy metal influenced by both Swedish death metal and industrial metal. Strid varies between really aggressive to ordinary in the songs and it feels both powerful and innovative. The band/project has musical similarities with Strid’s ordinary band Soilwork, but Coldseed takes a leap forward. The material is brilliant and they have even included two ballads in this metal-mayhem, called “Reflection” and “Burning With A Shade”. Unfortunately, there are two songs that almost border to mellcore and they are not happy experiences: “Democracy Lesson” and “Nothing but a Loser”. But, if you look away from the mellcore songs, this album is a true sound experience for every metalhead. Buy it if you’re into Soilwork or bands like them.



The debut is produced by Michael Schüren and mixed by the Gamma Ray bass player Dirk Schlaüger. Everything was recorded in Hammer Studio in Brackel, located close to Hamburg, during February 2005. And just like the music, the production is varied and complex.





Killer tracks “My Affliction”, “Five More To Fix”, “Low”, “On My Way”, “Completion Makes The Tragedy”, “Hatched”, and “At Last”.



Labels: http://www.nuclearblast.de AND http://www.soundpollution.seTracklist

Coldseed
Completion Makes The Tragedy

September 2006
Released: 2006, Nuclear Blast
Rating: 2.0/5
Reviewer: EvilG

Usually in Metal Rules we try not to re-review an album in another month UNLESS the reviewer has a different opinion on the album. Such is the case with the debut from Coldseed. This new band is a 'supergroup' of sorts as it features Björn “Speed” Strid of Soliwork on vocals and ex-Blind Guardian and current Savage Circus drummer Thomen Stauch. Since I am a fan of Soilwork (except for the last album STABBING THE DRAMA) and an even bigger fan of Thomen’s work in Blind Guardian and Savage Circus, I assumed I would find something of interest here….such was not the case at all.



From the get go this CD offered one letdown after another. All the songs blended together into one large mess of modern ‘metal’. My promo having something like a zillion tracks on it (in a futile attempt to prevent people from ripping the CD) made the task of knowing which song was on all the more difficult. After first listen, I figured it was maybe my sour mood or something else that affected my judgment of the music. So I gave it a few more spins until I had to just turn it off…violently. Sure, the drumming is great, and the vocals are well done. There are even some decent leads from time to time. But the overall sound and style of this music just sums up so much of the horrid modern mallcore influenced crap that is out there.



If you think a mix of current Soilwork, Rob Zombie, and any random mallcore shit band out sounds like a good mix…feel free to dig into this. If you’re more of a Blind Guardian / Savage Circus kinda listener, don’t say that you weren’t warned about this crap!