Maximum Metal Rating Legend

End of Level Boss – Prologue – 2006 – Exile on Mainstream Records

Track Listing1. Freak Waves 2. Disjointed 3. Vivid 4. Hedonophobia 5. Noisepicker 6. Step the Mind Gap 7. Spine Transfer 8. Leaving the Chemosphere

England’s End of Level Boss is, for lack of a better description, an extremely strange band. Their music transcends several genres, including sludge, grunge, and doom. This combination of influences has some rather catastrophic results, as “Prologue” is barely even listenable. The band’s aim was seemingly to create something unique in the metal world, and they have certainly accomplished that. Unfortunately, this unique piece of work is extremely boring and sometimes painful to listen to.

Nothing on “prologue” seems to fit together. Guitarist/vocalist Heck Armstrong fails at both his jobs, as his vocals are whiny and off-key and his riffs are sloppy and poorly-timed. A band that’s as “out there” as End of Level Boss are obviously going to have odd time signatures and patterns incorporated into their music, but when they sound forced and poorly executed, the novelty is lost. The band’s rhythm section, made up of bassist Elena Jane and drummer Ben Hallett, are incredibly boring. They seem to do little more than play random notes and keep the time, respectively.

I hate to have to do this, but I’m going to have to recommend that the reader avoid End of Level Boss at all costs. They will literally bore you to death with their incessant droning. Fans of this vague genre would be better off sticking with the bands that are established as doing what they do well, such as Voivod, High on Fire, etc.

2/10

--Veritas 03.01.06