Let it Kill wastes no time in letting the listener know that he’s in for an in-your-face, powerful performance. The guitar immediately comes shredding in, riding on a thick bass line, and is backed by sturdy percussion. This strength does not run out for the entire play time of the album, which maintains high energy vibes, while also keeping the performance fresh and interesting within the vacuum of the album.
The vocals stick mostly to the higher pitches, sounding much like Tobias Sammet of Edguy, while following the methodology of “the higher the vocals, the better.” Group vocals are also thrown in here and there, producing a solid anthem feel that once again serves to fire up the listener and encourage audience participation during live shows.
The big issue for the album is that it doesn’t feel overly new or fresh in the grand scheme of metal. The sound overall is a mix between Annihilator’s pacing and tempo with Stratovarius’ atmosphere and power elements. Realistically, sounding like another band is not a big deal, especially considering the nearly endless amounts of material and influences that are available, but with the energy, and seemingly gleeful performance that Simple Lies produce, I was hoping to see something new and a little shocking.
While Simple Lies may not bring anything new to the table, what they do bring is still very enjoyable. Like an apple pie at a picnic, you’ve seen it a hundred times before, but it is still welcome. For anyone looking for a some new material to rock out to that sticks to tradition, Let it Kill may just be what you’re looking for.