Cerberus

From amongst the deluge of similar-sounding American metal bands comes Cerberus, a band that are, well, nothing too far removed from that mould. Not to say that their second full-length, Despite the Truth, is bad, it’s just not that fantastic. However, fans of Unearth who have listened to that particular band’s latest release a little too much may find some enjoyment, as the guitar tone and overall tempo of the songs sound quite similar to that of the Massachusetts thrashers. Vocally, however, Cerberus choose to mix it up a little bit. Thankfully, the more death metal style of singing on display by vocalist John Guettler is pretty good, giving the recording a more welcome, raw-sounding feel. Production-wise, Despite the Truth isn’t anything terribly pleasing, as the twin guitars sound a little too washed out. While they are still a young band, the sound that Cerberus purvey may well ring true with the current metal mainstream but hopefully future maturations of the band will result in a sound more their own.