Welcome To The Institution by Promethium is an Album which is currently available for purchase via iTunes as well as other outlets.

When I first listened to the tracks from the Album, one thing jumped out at me straight away, Godsmack, now as I know nothing about the band personally I don’t know if this is an intentional influence but it cannot be denied that the sound that is created is definitely  from the same school of thinking. Now I’m a huge Godsmack fan, one of my favourite bands to relax to, and I think why they stand out as much as they do is Sulley’s voice. Without wanting to sound disrespectful to Promethium’s vocalist it is my humble opinion that the vocals on this Album are a bit weak. I know that may sound a bit harsh to say from the outset but again it is only my opinion and I am not trying to dress this as fact. I think the vocals could do with looking at and beefing up a bit with an occasional change in pitch being a good idea as at the moment it feels it’s been played with a view to being safe and radio friendly and by doing so it’s missing the wow factor.

The backing vocals however are cleverly used, occasional low screams specifically in ‘Tribute To The Fallen’ add an extra dimension to what is undoubtedly a good song. The biggest selling point for me is the guitarist, obviously talented and some riffs are exceptional. ‘Meaning Of Trust’ while short is quite an addictive sound, set up by the rhythmic pounding of the drums, almost a march sound to it, when the guitar and low notes come in I get the impression this song would be a welcome film score.

I read the myspace page for Promethium and saw them tagged as metal and thrash I was excited to listen to the Album, however, after listening to it I can’t see justification in labelling the band as metal nor thrash. To me this is classic rock with a grunge twist. Now I am not saying the band is not talented, because they clearly are I just think they need to sit and take stock and maybe think about what genre they are aiming to conquer. A strictly metal/thrash fan would skip through the Album and not really miss much that would suit their taste, fans of Godsmack and/or indie music would probably find more to suit their desires.

One last thing to add, I think the drummer has been let down in the recording process as his foot work is not coming through … at all. Which is a shame, because from his work on the snare, toms and cymbals you can hear obvious talent but somehow when the parts have been layered the bass drum has been lost.

In summation, a decent recording that still has a lot of room for improvement both from the band and the producers. Strong points – guitars, some awesome riffs. Drums –  Talented drummer only let down by the recording process. Weak points – vocals, one dimensional and not appealing to the hardcore amongst metal fans. Production – Losing the bass drum to me is a major issue, losing the beefy rhythm has hurt the drummers contribution.

3/5 Classic rock, Indie, grunge fans should definitely take a look as it would be something you may enjoy. As a metalcore/hardcore fan it is one I would be willing to miss.