Band: Element Album: Under the Influence Label: Independent Rating: 8/10 Website: http://www.myspace.com /elementsound BUY NOW!

The world of rip-off metal is an unfortunate one for all involved. The bands are instantly slated (good though they may be), the listeners get pissed off and the record companies go bust...end of story. However, there is an exception to every rule and I believe I have found the band that defies the system as far as ‘ripping off’ is concerned. Element are a 4 piece metal band hailing from Wigan, England and they without doubt gain the majority of their influences from Metallica...if you know what I mean! The difference that Element have over the majority of other bands who lay their influences rather too heavily upon a single band, is that they are genuinely as good as the band they copy. I’m not going to claim that their debut album, ‘Under the Influence’, is up to the standard of ‘Master of Puppets, but lets put it this way...if Metallica had released this album instead of ‘St.Anger’, they may not have put themselves in the controversial position they now find themselves in. It really is that good...trust me... Undoubtedly the most derivative track is the first, but as I say, that simply does not matter, because the hammering opening riff challenges any that their more renowned competition have managed to produce in recent times. While it is hard not to take the resemblance into account, it is by no means impossible to look through it, maybe even endorse it, and admire the musical brilliance of the song, and indeed all of the others. There are constant heavy beats being laid down by a drum part which is a strong part of the music and the regular guitar sequences being played are melodic and enjoyable; managing to maintain heaviness with the inclusion of some more complex developments. The second song is similar, if a bit more original...detaching itself slightly from the stereotype ‘Metallica’ sound but it is the third that most entertains me. The title named track throws in a bit of everything we love about the band we have come to idolise so much, mixed with all of the new things brought by this band in the previous two tracks...and the result is astounding! The ground-shaking bass succeeds in powering through the layers above, a sad rarity in the metal of today, while these layers merge in with each other creating ultimate awesomeness, and then there are the vocals accompanying it; it really is a beast of a song. The only feature, musically, which I dislike somewhat is the vocals. They are good, brilliant even but because of what I assume is down to lower end budget production this talented voice is not always displayed in the way it could be. None of the others quite live up to this track it must be said, but the easy-listening simplicity combined with the imaginative complexity of these three tracks is continued, unfalteringly, throughout the album. Overall...although it seems so after listening to the first song, this album is not ruined in any way by its resemblance to Metallica. I said it before and I repeat, if Metallica had released this album instead of their last, they would have prevented the deep hole that they dug for themselves. Needless to say, a definite buy for Metallica fans, also to fans of all kinds of stoner and thrash metal alike. Lewis Klein Back to Reviews