THE DESTINY PROGRAM

I guess people are still buying this been-there-done-that croon 'core or Nuclear Blast wouldn't be releasing "Subversive Blueprint…" by Germany's THE DESTINY PROGRAM. If it is production and cookie cutter formula that you so desperately seek, then "Subversive Blueprint…" print has got exactly that. The production team includes engineers/producers Anders Friden (IN FLAMES) and Daniel Bergstrand (co-produced by the band) with mixing/mastering by Tue Madsen. Jacob Hansen (HEAVEN SHALL BURN, MAROON, ABORTED) also gets production credit. So the sound is polished and neatly packaged. If that were all it took to make a blockbuster, then THE DESTINY PROGRAM would be in great shape. Unfortunately, little things like songwriting and passion tend to make or break a band.

It is not like some groups playing this tuneful kind of metalcore are not worth checking out, but "Subversive Blueprint…" is all style and no substance. And boy does this taste like vanilla. What you get is a collection of songs that consist of thick hardcore riffs/beats and lots of crooning choruses with the occasional slow-burn, artsy track (e.g. "Daeva" and "Mithra") tossed into the mix. One could find some value in it if the heavy stuff was satisfactorily head cracking or the melodies were undeniably catchy, but the group fails to make an impression in either case. Ok, a few tracks do possess some slamming moments that are more than tolerable, yet not nearly enough to make the case for hardcore heaviness alone. Most damning are the clean vocal melodies that are usually quite awful. They just don't work and sometimes (such as on "The Personal Revolution") are downright unbearable. A mellow, alt-rock sounding piece called "Neurosis and Projection" only makes matters worse.

Even if you are a fan of the style, there just isn't enough here to warrant plunking down the cash for "Subversive Blueprint…" No matter how many times I sat through this one all I could think about was how much time was left before it was over. In fairness, you can do worse, but that's little consolation for an album that I don't find convincing on very many levels. This of course means that "Subversive Blueprint…" will end up a worldwide sensation.