ALBUM REVIEW: Lust And War – Aphrodite

As is known to many who paid attention in history, the goddess Aphrodite (or Venus, to those who were more inclined with the Roman side of things) was associated with love, beauty, pleasure, passion and procreation. But this particular APHRODITE is anything but gentle and docile; this one likes to play speed metal. Formed during the second half of last year, this Canadian trio have a rich background in the national scene, playing with such groups as ICE WAR, COLORFADE, DEMONA and OUTLINE. They’ve managed to progress well in their short career to date, managing to craft a debut album and score a label in the form of Fighter Records. Today sees the release of said album, entitled Lust And War, which offers a ‘relentless and charismatic approach’ to a genre that has been beloved by many since its inception nearly forty years ago.

On paper, Lust And War sounds a very interesting prospect: although not a concept album, each song revolves around a topic from Ancient Greek mythology, a number of them surrounding the Gods – there’s songs relating to Hades, Ares and Aphrodite herself – along with the characters from famous legends like Theseus, Medusa and the Minotaur. Similarly, the premise of harking back to the raw, DIY production of the 1980’s in an age that is very much digital is another selling point, and at times it works. The NWOBHM guitars from Jo Steel and Jan Turbo are very reminiscent of the first two IRON MAIDEN albums with an added dose of MOTÖRHEAD for good measure, and as such this would certainly appeal to those who preferred the days when production wasn’t important and what mattered was how good the material was.

Herein lies the downfall, however – the material isn’t very good at all; in fact, one would go as far to say it’s laughable. Even when APHRODITE’s position as a new band is taken into account, this is still a misfire on a number of levels. Tanza Speed on lead vocals is all too often hidden in the mix and, on the occasions where she is clear enough to be hear, is left wanting. She’s regularly out of tune and when she kicks into her “woahs” on Lightning Crashed, she dive-bombs quicker than a kamikaze pilot, resulting in what little momentum the track has built up to be unceremoniously dropped in an instance. A lot of the album goes by without any sort of moment that would lead you to believe that it was going to be salvaged. Even The Odyssey, which opens with a chugging riff that offers a glimmer of promise, is snuffed out once Speed’s voice appears again; the guitar solo to finish the track is too weighed down by what’s come before it to carry it.

APHRODITE might have been wanting to make a sizeable impact upon the release of Lust And War, but the truth is they’re little more than a drop in the ocean. This had the potential to be a record of intrigue and force, but it’s ended up as thirty-seven minutes of forgettable, middle-of-the-road speed metal.

Rating: 4/10

Lust And War is out now via Fighter Records. 

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