[b]About half a year ago, MetalRage received a promising EP by the Northern-Dutch nu-metallers El Shit. It was promising due to impressive production and a fat sound. Now El Shit return with their "mix of Meshuggah, Korn, Fear Factory and Deftones", for their first full-lenth recording.[/b]

Let me cut to the chase. I find the whole thing dissapointing. One of the things that trouble me is that the band have failed to progress in song writing. The full length of the record sounds the same, and it is almost a scandal that the bio dares to claim that the band has influences of a band like Meshuggah.

There's really only one band I'm hearing here, and it's KoRn. Maybe oldschool numetal, but it's KoRn. It ain't half bad for a young couple of metal lads, but it's just so damned uninspired. Some riffs are quite original, witch is an unique thing in modern numetal, but that just isn't enough to save the album.

El Shit have failed to create an album that keeps the listener interested for the full 50 minutes. The sound's okay, but it's far from anything new, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the complexity that a band like Meshuggah performs, or the high intensity of an old Fear Factory album. The Deftones day-dreamy-sound they've attempted on tracks like Current Leakage is failing on one crusial point: it ain't half interesting.

Next thing is the ugly-ass artwork. Next time, try an art-director, or put a plain old photo on the cover. The lyrics are the next thorn in my eye, way over the top, trying to sound mature, but ending up in a young lad's attempt to sound mature.

On a possitive note, they whole thing isn't absolute shit at all. They've managed a nice productional sound once again, as said some of the riffage is refreshing, and Davik Peek's vocals are cool (the only thing that reminds me of Meshuggah really), and it scores quite well for a dutch numetal project. But even with all that considered, it doesn't pass as an exelent metal record.

The EP sounded promising, they have the talent, but they should have waited much longer before making Eat My Dust and go back to the writing board and create that powerful, original metal record that they have in them. Try forgetting your influences for once and go for an own style, and you've got yourself a classic example of great metal.

Good luck guys..

[b]El Shit - Eat My Dust
Suburban

Frame
1000-mile
Reminded Pain
Face It
Live Your Own Life
Suicide
Hate World
Current Leakage
Soul
In Two
Walk On
Inevitable War[/b]