Album Review: Paleface Swiss - Cursed: The Complete Edition
Reviewed by Tim Finch
Back in January Switerzland’s masters of brutality Paleface Swiss were gearing up to land the first big hitter of 2025 with the release of their third full length offering Cursed. That landed hard as did the tour that followed, the band building up a well deserved following. Now just five months later they are back with 'Cursed: The Complete Edition' bringing fans the full experience with a few bonus tracks to boot.
The album opens with ‘Un Pobre Niño Murió’, the re-imaging of an old Canary Island folklore track, with sounds as tribal and enchanting as anything any metal band has incorporated on their albums in the past. This softly spoken number raises the intrigue yet gives no clue as to what is about to come.
From the closing moment of the intro the listener is thrown full throttle into this battering ram of an album. From here the riffs and blast beast are flowing faster than a rumour circulating at the office Christmas party. There are many early 2000’s influences floating around in their sound, something on point given the era’s revival of late.
‘Hatred’ blows the cobwebs away with its barbaric nature from the off. This song bears more than just a passing resemblance to early Slipknot, the influence here is dripping from every note.
In contrast ‘...and with hope you'll be damned’ could be straight off of Korn’s 1998 opus ‘Follow The Leader’. For those of us who developed their musical tastes through that era, this album’s is a welcome nod to those times whilst developing new elements to keep the band’s sound unique enough to build a new fan base.
‘Enough’ keeps the listening on their toes with an eerie backline layered with a rap vocals, completely contrasting the rest of the record and yet fitting perfectly in place. Whilst ‘Youth Decay’ encompasses thrashier elements mixed in with their deathcore style and more hints of Slipknot, all resulting in a cacophonous mass that cannot be ignored.
The additional material on the new edition of the album includes 'I Am A Cursed One' another hard hitting face melter that makes you wonder why it was left off the original release. Then they add three previously released stand alone singles in 'Best Before - Death', 'Please End Me' and 'The Gallows', tunes familiar to the hardcore Paleface Swiss fans, but potentially new to many. And to close it all off a more introspective, acoustic version of 'River Of Sorrows' featuring Ron Deris.
Paleface Swiss have produced an album that will be sure to bring them to the next level and beyond. Leaning heavily on the early 2000’s sound there is an element of nostalgia for the older listeners yet the band retain their unique style. Those who have already heard most of these tracks may not be tempted into picking the extended version up, but for new fans and the hardcore fans this is a must that see's 'Cursed' rounded off perfectly.
Be the first to comment