Lethal Halo
Process of Progress

June 2011
Released: 2011, Self Released
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Aaron Yurkiewicz

Lethal Halo is a five piece that officially hails from Vancouver, but whose members hail from Canada, Turkey, and the UK. Their debut full length PROCESS OF PROGRESS is an interesting blend of various heavy influences, and though feels a little unfocused at points, it’s a gritty and respectable debut.



Musically, the band keeps one foot in traditional metal and euro-thrash, and the other in more accessible, mainstream nu metal sounds. Think of Jonathan Davis from Korn fronting Mudvayne while they play In Flames and All That Remains cover tunes, and you’re headed in the right direction (though it does sound better than this description). The opening one-two punch of “Descension” and “End of Days” show the band at their best; tight, riff-centric tunes with some groove and melody to carry the songs. “End of Days” even has a rockin’ Maiden gallop to it that subconsciously gets your head banging. In contrast, tunes like “Struggle,” “Constantine,” and “Lost in the Labyrinth” probably wouldn’t sound out of place in between Ax7 or Disturbed on the radio. They’re still heavy and certainly abrasive in spots, but catchy enough appeal to broader audiences. And really, there’s not anything wrong with that. If it’s heavy and the songs rock, that’s all that matters, genres be damned.



There are areas in tunes like “Sovereignty” and “Struggle” where the band sounds like they’re not really sure where they’re going, and the closing “Why Bleed for You” didn’t do much for me. Not bad songs, just a bit “meh.” The band sounds good, but I’d love to hear them find more of their voice rather than sounding like a combination of their influences. Yeah, yeah, it’s the first album, but it’s things like that that decide what’s good and what’s great.



But at the end of the day, Lethal Halo deliver a worthy debut with PROCESS OF PROGRESS. It’s heavy, it’s catchy, and if a curmudgeon like me can dig it, so can you. Check out Lethal Halo’s website for more info on PROCESS OF PROGRESS.