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Tantal - Expectancy Review
by Matt Hensch
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Pushing "Expectancy" off a cliff was not on my agenda; every bone in my body wanted to give Tantal the benefit of the doubt. I'm willing to say Tantal has far more drive and passion in its melodic thrash/death metal attack than any band that falls under this musical blanket. The tragedy in "Expectancy" is that it is badly misdirected. Many mediocre acts have a solid musical foundation at their disposal, but squander it by sticking to mundane routines or cutting creative corners. Tantal's problem is exactly the opposite: while showing glimmers of ingenuity in a creative wasteland, the few moments of brilliance on "Expectancy" are overshadowed by its dire underpinnings. As much as I wanted to give this some leeway, I feel its core mechanics are beyond repair.
The melodic thrash/death metal basis doesn't have to be completely inhospitable; there should be plenty of creative room for bands to work with. Sadly, this style just can't seem to get its motor running, and this is what ends "Expectancy" right from ignition. These songs are geared to mostly be mid-paced, running the gamut between modern melodic death metal parts and tenderfoot thrash/groove metal bits. Both portions conjure up a handful of groups with whom Tantal relates-a mix of Lamb of God's riffing style and Dark Tranquillity's melody, or maybe whatever monstrosity In Flames and Nevermore could make out. There is no inventiveness in any of these guitar parts. "Expectancy" chugs out stop-start riffs layered over structures that are, unfortunately, inadequate.A few tracks change things up a bit; blast beats and some slightly captivating guitar sequences appear here and there. Tantal's source of originality comes from a two-vocalist approach, using harsh vocals and a female singer. Can't beat around the bush here: it is the sound of a thousand calamities. The harsh vocals are generic harsh vocals-use your imagination. The female vocals, however, are stuffed into these songs without any cohesion, and frankly ruin any measure of decency that might have been snowballing at the rate of a slug crawling across a sidewalk. They aren't awful; they just don't sound remotely enjoyable in this musical context. Honestly, the dual-vocalist approach would have been fine if Tantal had made the transition linking the harsh grunts and the female vocals tolerable to even the slightest degree. Instead, we're left with a choppy volleying between two opposite spectrums with no symmetry whatsoever. Songwriting and poise, factors most bands treat as if they come from the outermost corners of the universe, are what stop "Expectancy" from completely keeling over, ironically. "Expectancy" features a variety of parts and measures to add to the group's lyrical journey from depression to anger, which is sort of reflected by the growls and the melancholy vocals. The bass plays an integral role in how Tantal transmits its message through a number of solid grooves and hooks, especially the opening line on "Under the Weight of My Sorrow I Crawl," the album's best cut. The passion and mindset are here, but the creative roots are poisoned to the source; "Expectancy" fumbles on the first play. Tantal deserves better, and I'll be the first to say that this Russian faction has the tools to make itself a titan. Giving this a free ride, though, is out of question.
Tantal - Expectancy Rating:3.5
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