Song Of The Week: Threat Signal - Through My Eyes

Tear through the ashes of what still remains
The blood runs down my face
Can't find the reason we're all left to waste
You must awaken

See through my eyes!

I bleed to let myself know I'm alive
As you hide in denial
Break through the clouds and reach out to the sky
You must awaken

See through my eyes!
See through the lies!
We're not far away ~ [x2]

As we crawl ~
To salvation, the rest try to hold us down
As they fall ~
We separate from the hate that will bring us down
Bring us down ~ [x2]

These lacerations!
They will reveal for the rest of my life!
These aggravations!
Will not conceal 'til I die or we end this fight!

As we crawl ~
To salvation, the rest try to hold us down
As they fall ~
We separate from the hate that will bring us down!

Forget the words that they've said!
If it's all deceit in your head!
This life is more than just lies!
Awake and see through my eyes!!

Awake and see through my eyes!!! [x3]

Threat Signal is very fond of fading out their tracks, having catchy, melancholic guitar solos, and very generic guitar riffing to go with the scratchy harsh vocals. That is how I would sum them up in a single sentence.

Pleasantly surprising melo-death aficionados (such as yours Truly) with their soulful guitar solo in 2006's hit single, "A New Beginning", Threat Signal is set to burst back onto the metal scene with their upcoming album, Vigilance. As they are signed onto Nuclear Blast records, arguably one of the rare few music labels around that boasts an elite roster of metal bands (from Avantasia to Wintersun), one can certainly expect some quality music from them.

Probably taking a leaf from the book of fellow American music label, Victory Records, Nuclear Blast has recently adopted the approach of releasing songs from upcoming albums earlier than they should, in the form of their official music videos on YouTube. Thus, the song that the above music video took inspiration from is not out yet. :)

Briefly scanning through Threat Signal's 2006 Under Reprisal to get an idea of how they sounded like 3 years ago, I could not help but wonder about frontman, Jon Howard's claim about his musical efforts thus far.

"It's funny how the whole string section of Threat Signal was replaced, but the most noticeable progression lies within my vocals. On Under Reprisal I was really pushing and forcing my voice trying to find myself. I've found my voice and range with this album and I feel very comfortable." Jon Howard had recently said.

True, as much as Threat Signal's guitarists are mostly successful at crafting kickass guitar solos that do justice to the melo-death genre, Jon Howard still falls short of breaking out of the image of being the stereotypical harsh vocalist. He sounded almost the same on both 2006's "A New Beginning" and "Rational Eyes", and 3 years later, he is still screamin' the same in 2009's "Through My Eyes". By the way, what's with his obsession over eyes?

A foreboding warning to the metal scene - From left to right: Norman Killeen (Drums), Adam Weber (Guitar), Jon Howard (Vocals), Pat Kavanagh (Bass Guitar), Travis Montgomery (Guitar)

Only difference I could make out in his voice this time, is perhaps that of his better-sounding clean vocals during the choruses, albeit a bit too poppy for his (and our) own good. Melo-death harsh vocalists really ought to take a leaf from Scar Symmetry's original vocalist, Christian Älvestam. That guy makes the skinhead look cooler for harsh vocalists than the typical mane look.

All in all, Threat Signal is a Canadian melo-death band any metalhead should certainly look out for. After all, they are part of the Nuclear Blast brethren, and that's saying a lot.