ALBUM REVIEW: Duality – Cellar Twins

Taking nods at the technical nuances of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, with the song structures of ALTER BRIDGE – on paper, you’d expect little could go wrong for Belgian rock quartet CELLAR TWINS. And considering debut record Duality has been elected for re-release on the bands new label Rockshots Records, you’d think not much has. With that said, despite gaining notoriety in their homeland, the four-piece are yet to reach mass appeal across waters, and as the bands first full length starts motoring – you can see why.

Album opener Millenium is promising enough. Its Game Of Thrones battle teaser instrumental succumbs to a fervent, classic hard rock pick riff – if you’re a peak SHADOWS FALL devotee, you’ll be inclined to star gaze. Problem is: Duality hits its summit 30 seconds into the first track. Before long it becomes a record rife with gritty, flamboyant, guitar based showmanship – and little else.

What starts as an apparent brooding ode to early 2000’s metalcore gets disfigured into a SHINEDOWN camouflage outfit. Social Waste is left red faced with its 20, long seconds of “Na Na Na” to begin proceedings that then excruciatingly return after vocalist Carl Kubinsky‘s loose attempt at a punchy, domineering chorus attack.

It’s a shame, because when Duality isn’t trying to sound like a CREED knock off – there are undeniably moments of spectacle. The somewhat uplifting climax of Tales Of Autumn is bound to strike a chord with some, and is comfortably Kubinsky‘s best vocal call on the record. And lead guitarist Jeff Sternon puts in a technical shift on the harsher landing Antithesis, while his more humble tones on Promesse are clean guitar mastery.

But ultimately, CELLAR TWINS have a habit here of getting in their own way. Duality‘s moments of real interest (often forged by its instrumentation) are constantly undone by a habit of falling in a hole of bland, mid 2000’s Dad-rock. By the time it reaches the end of its frankly unnecessary 50 minute run time: you’ll feel exhausted by the albums hap hazard, dated approach.

Thanks to a cunning lead guitar performance from Sternon, Duality isn’t a disaster for CELLAR TWINS. But despite trying to fit in with a sound that came (and thankfully went) only two decades ago – this record sounds archaic. Void of any real modern rock ingenuity, the Belgian four piece sound like the kind of band that might have fit in with the early 2000’s cliche’, WWE theme song era. But even then, they’d need to write a great chorus first.

Rating: 5/10

Duality is set for release January 29th via Rockshots Records. 

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