ELYSIUM

If "Godfather" by Poland's ELYSIUM sounds this derivative of the Swedish thrash/death sound (specifically, AT THE GATES and contemporaries),then I have to wonder what the first four albums sounded like. Of course, there is that whole thing about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. And yet, "Godfather" is still moderately entertaining, if a little too similar from one track to the next. Go with what you know, right?

There is not a great deal of downside to these 10 tracks. Though the upside is quite limited, there is enough meat on the bone to at least make for a relatively hard grooving and fast thrashing experience. The ELYSIUM style is defined by chunky ATG riffing and a tightly wound rhythm section, combining for a delivery that sports more groove and a tad more accessibility compared to some of its Swedish brethren. There are no dips into absolute tedium, but once you get past the handful of tracks that stand out inconsiderably ("Follow the Dead", "Godfather Blues", "Shotgun Beast", and "Seven Deadly Strikes") for decent hooks and an extra dose of ripping groove, the tunes begin to blend into one another. As for the key players, the riffs and leads of Michal Wlosik are workable, and sometimes quite biting, while vocalist Maciej Miskiewicz comes off like a more intelligible and less harsh Tomas Lindberg. Pawel Ulatowski's drumming is more than sufficing, but the clicky bass drum sound can be grating at times.

"Godfather" is an example of an album that gives the listener a warm and fuzzy feeling because of the beloved style that is being emulated, rather than because of anything to do with the band's own musical acumen. That's not such a bad thing and ELYSIUM gives it the old college try. In the end though, "Godfather" is little more than an average representation of a style loved and imitated by fans and musicians alike.