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Ektomorf is from Hungary’s slew of metal bands that are finally getting notice outside of Europe. Black Flag is indicative of some of the issues plaguing that scene. Regardless of how many years some of these bands have roasted the stages of every városban, or city, in the region, their album output continuously seems underdeveloped.
Black Flag sounds like a collection of thrashy, speedy and slightly exotic B-sides left over from Max Cavalera’s eight thousand projects, with a dash of Brazil’s Vulcano sprinkled in.
Add in a cover of the Foo Fighters' “The Pretender” at the end and Black Flag comes off as a project that tries hard to be something it is not.
To make things worse, the album is a victim of unfortunate circumstance. It’s a poor time to release a track called “Black Flag” with a riot sample at the top and then yell lyrics including ‘Black Flack… We are the oppressed … We won’t take it anymore’. The manipulated and the mindless in too many misguided nations have been busy murdering the innocent while waving their own Black Flags. It might be metal to sing about such stuff, but it’s all in good fun, for the release of rage through fantasy. It’s not metal when the crap is really happening. Ektomorf is caught in the toilet of reality on this one and it’s not their fault.
That aside, Black Flag is chock full of meaty riffs ready to fall off the bone. The album’s attack is not an all-out assault like an overwrought metalcore album, but rather a consistent charge of well-executed thrash rhythm.
Zoltan Farkas is the hoarse center of the fierce urgency maintained by his backing band. Ektomorf’s founder and only original member, Farkas has a lot to be gruff about. His vocals are heavily inflected in an interesting way as well as roughened up by having a gypsy heritage in places where the Rom are not welcomed. His past turmoil and his burning need to succeed obviously fuel his vocals as they churn through the songs.
Black Flag is gifted with a marvelous production by Tue Madsen. The opening two minutes of “War is My Way” is a master class on how to get this sound down. “War is My Way,” “Private Hell,” “Enemy” and “Kill It” are loud, sulfuric blasts of astounding studio craftsmanship and heartfelt nastiness. All the pieces are there… except for one hard-to-ignore ingredient: songs. All the finest silverware, seasoning, saucing and background jazz music can’t make a great meal out of second-rate stew meat.
The lyrics, heartfelt or not, might’ve been written in crayon. They’re stick figures of a simple-minded poet. Its fine to try to ram home meaning with blunt force, but it’s crucial to know the address. Ektomorf got hopelessly lost. It’s almost unfair to pick on Black Flag for this, but the tracks are unforgivingly lunkheaded, especially considering the world-class elements at work behind the scenes.
The album does get from the first track, “War is My Way” to the 13th track, “Kill It” without a children’s chorus, a guitar solo, a guest vocalist, the local philharmonic orchestra or even an accidental burp. Ektomorf should be commended for this.
Unfortunately for all concerned, there is a fourteenth track, the aforementioned cover of “The Pretender.” The recent fad of placing covers of pop hits on the end of metal albums is not a good development. It’s probably a record company knife-at-the-throat demand, but it usually just flattens all the tires and highlights how bad original bands do karaoke.
In Ektomorf’s case, Black Flag was sufficient at 13 tracks long, and should’ve refrained from adding the fourteenth. “The Pretender” was not only way beyond what Ektomorf could handle, but it’s also a piece of unflattering irony.
(released September 25, 2012 on AFM Records)
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.