A Thousand Shades of
Cold
A Thousand Shades of Cold
Amherst Records
Release Date: June 2006
Overall Grade: 3.85 (out of 5.0)
There aren't many artists out there today that can successfully put together a sound that is diverse, yet still have an identity, on the same album. On the rare opportunity that you do find an album like that, you usually play the hell out of it and are left wanting something more. Something new. Here's something new for you: A Thousand Shades of Cold.
The band's self-titled effort begins with a soft and slow intro, which then blends into the hard rockin' "For the Seraph". The band's roller coaster of an album continues, with the following ballad-like track "Strings of Life". By this point, on most albums, I would say "This band is struggling to find its identity." That is not the case at all though with ATSOC. Vocalist Jake Gissin's amazing voice can transcend to so many different levels, something that a lot of young musicians these days lack.
The band's mix of hard rock and metal continues with "Sacrament of the Sick". One of my favorites on the album, the track is one of those that gives me goosebumps, jacks me up, and makes me feel like I am in the song. I want to scream "take this breath away", not because I'm listening to the song, because you feel like you are actually in the song wanting to scream part of the chorus.
The end of the album is impressively strong as well. The guitar riffs in the band's single "Undisputed" take you for the ride that you don't want to stop. Also rocking out late in album are "A Glimpse of Virtue" and the last track "Hollow Mortality".
Most bands have that "one track" that you can play for someone to show them their identity – what they can expect from the rest of the band's music. That is definitely more difficult with A Thousand Shades of Cold. Whether you choose single "Undisputed", or one my personal favorites and possible future singles "Sacrament of the Sick", "For the Seraph", and "A Glimpse of Virtue", you aren't doing any music fan justice by sharing just part of the album. With a successful diverse sound, and while maintaining a strong identity, on their debut album, A Thousand Shades of Cold will undoubtedly be a band with a bright future that leaves their stamp in the hard rock & metal music world.
BY: The Asif
SPECIAL THANKS: Shelley Hirsch @ Amherst Records