Ichor

Germany's Ichor list their influences as Despised Icon, Black Dahlia Murder and Suicide Silence. This is not a good sign. Although the first two are great bands (the latter one, not so much), it's one thing to share aspects of their sound but another if they're the base of a band's music. As predicted, Ichor's sound is repetitive and unoriginal death metal with some technicality thrown in for effect. However, The Siege, the band's reissued debut, does have some strong points: the energetic vocals and honed instrumental musicianship make the album listenable even though the band don't provide anything groundbreaking. Their best track, "Caught in a Deathmachine," also provides some incendiary guitar work, which is a plus, but leaves the listener wanting more. Ichor have the technical skill and they have the ability to push their music to the next level but they choose to embrace mediocrity instead.