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TRITTON
Face Of Madness

Self-released (2013)
Rating: 4/10

Mexican metal has just taken a punch to the stomach with this seven-track release. Tritton are not the greatest metal band around – in fact, far from it – this quintet being badly let down by not only the production but Lorena Cabrera’s rather tuneless warbles.

The overall feel of this affair is one of a band trying so desperately to sound old school, but who will no doubt be left behind by the thousands of other bands who do this sort of thing far more effectively.

Sure, the drums of Yohan Torres are delivered at quite a pace, while the twin guitar assault of Yohan’s brother Enrique as well as José Gómez are to the point, and this is especially apparent on the thrashy workout of the title track, which exudes an archetypal 80s metal gallop. Again though, it’s let down by the vocals.

Female vocalists have never been given a fair crack of the whip since 80s divas like Lita Ford, but there are a fair few fair maidens out there in the metal world who can boast a set of pipes that more than match the men. Lorena Cabrera falls considerably short however, struggling with her range at times. Alongside those rather naïve lyrics, Tritton are very quickly finding themselves on a downwards slope to mediocrity.

The only track on offer that I can really get my teeth into is opener ‘Martyr’; featuring a cool introductory riff, I’m impressed by the bass of Victor Varas, which is dominant throughout. Guys, we need a tad more meat in those vocals though. My doubts are confirmed with the raging ‘33 Degrees North’, which boasts a frenzied guitar but vocals which seem out of place amid the cacophony. The same can also be said for ‘Wanton War’ and ‘Asphyxia’, which again are bolstered by some impressive musicianship but a distinct lack of melody in those banshee wails.

Tritton’s debut is a low-budget affair, but if these guys are to reach the status of a second platter then there is going to have to be a vast improvement in order for them to rise anywhere above the clouds of mediocrity. Just not good enough, I’m afraid. If anything, their three-track demo with the same title had a far meatier, yet underground feel, but the replica NWOBHM dynamics and watery production here means that the band do not live up to expectation.

With so many bands on the revival trip, Tritton fail in their attempts at mixing San Francisco Bay Area ingredients with tried and trusted bog-standard metal. The result is a mixed bag of off-key metal that drifts by without effect.

Neil Arnold

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