Scheer - ..and Finally
Just as the cliché states, it's oftentimes better to get something late than to never get it at all. That's the case with And Finally, the second, and final, full-length record from the now defunct band Scheer, which originally hailed from Northern Ireland. Sad as it is for those who were fans of Scheer, the band decided to call it quits after recording their second full album. In fact, we should consider ourselves lucky that Schism Records maintained the distribution rights from indie-legend 4AD… if it hadn't, we might never have had the chance to hear the band's final exit. While Scheer has been labeled in various music media bios as being an "alternative metal" group, their sounds veer from mainstream metal acts that have now found their way into the mainstream music stream. Unlike pop-oriented metal acts like Kid Rock and Korn, Scheer's sound was blistering, distinctively unique in strength and complex when it came to song arrangement. Formed in 1993, Scheer originally found a home at a small Irish label before landing a deal with 4AD. Once among the other 4AD outfits, followed its initial Psychobabble EP with the Schism EP, which was released in 1995. In the following year, the group launched Infliction, its first full-length release. Based on the strength of two singles, Wish You Were Dead in particular, Infliction gained the band notable recognition and a small cult following. Strongly characterized by the shimmering and cutting vocals of Audrey Gallagher and the metallic guitars of her brother Neal, Scheer seemed to be poised for bigger things. The band got to work on their next release in 1997, but its release got stalled for the past few years because of a contractual disagreement with 4AD. Now, after the wait is over, And Finally caps the band's brief but evocative history. The group's second (and almost-lost) full-length release picks up right where Infliction left off. The disc's opening "Deadly Serious" features a quick assault of cosmic guitars and riveting drums which both wrap themselves around the distinctive voice of Audrey Gallagher. "First Contact" follows with a dreamy sense of power pop, while "Face the Sun" slows the beat down with a sense of eerie foreboding. "6am" sounds as if it could have been taken from the band's first full-length record, as it drives with power chords, quick drumbeats and tightness within the band despite the quick changes in tempo and rhythm. Later tracks fluctuate between being quick and driving and sounding more apt for shoegazing. Some tracks have a bit of both in them, such as "Secrets and Lies," which is one of the more traditional-sounding songs, given its verse-chorus-verse layout. "Say the Word" closes the record out with a minimalistic drum track sprinkled with sparse guitar chords and subdued vocals… almost as if the band didn't want the ride to end |
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