Dead Soul Men

The fourth offering by the Swedish metal trio Freak Kitchen finally captured the band's best attributes combined with stellar production. Their debt to King's X is obvious, but their vast array of influences coupled with the maniacal guitar playing and inspired singing of Mattias IA Eklundh make Freak Kitchen one of a kind. Their pop-flavored music is grounded by a strong respect for melody, but their creative and experimental writing and playing take the music to uncharted territory for this type of melodic metal. The crunchy guitar sound is the dominating force but, unlike many metal bands, their sound is seldom tiresome due to the constant introduction of new and surprising musical ideas, often delivered with a sense of humor. There are no standout tracks to single out, as all are quite strong, but "Silence!" in particular captures the spirit of this session. An absolute gem that was lost in a sea of mediocre metal.