Question the Illogical is the second EP from Birmingham-based metal outfit Adust, and their first since signing to Glasstone Records.   It's an EP full of angst, pain and anger, with a smidgeon of hope?

Track 1 is a short instrumental, cinematic in its execution, building up the tension and anticipation and as it reaches the climax everything stops and you're left with silence.

From then on it's classic Brummie Metal, fast powerful drums from Danny Biddle and the thumping bass from Matt Simpson keep everything in place, whilst Dave Cox and Guy Jones on guitars hand out a lesson in metal axe-manship to all those budding young bands out there. All of this is great, but you need a front man and in Rob Pease they have the consummate leader. His growling vocals are nicely counteracted by the melodic backing vocals of Dave.  This style of metal vocals are not to everyone's taste, mainly because it's so hard to pull off, but Rob does it with ease.

This is an EP which shows an amazing maturity in such a young band - lyrically it is thought provoking, dealing with issues like global greed and avarice (as portrayed in track 2: “Losing Faith”), to the darker corners of humanity the affect and consequences physical abuse can have on a person (“The Evil That Dwells Within”).

Musically, the balance is just right. Songs are well structured, with changes in tempo and vocals just where they're needed for the most dramatic effect.  This is seen at its best on track 4 “Vicious Cycle”, which is an eight-minute epic that starts off with Dave's haunting, melodic vocals and just as you're getting drawn into the song, you're smacked full in the face with an explosion of noise as Adust unleash the full force of their anger on us;  an anger at a world gone wrong.

Apocalyptic and doom-laden, this is the stand-out track on the EP for me. Dave Cox's vocals at the start and at various points throughout are nicely juxtaposed with Rob's menacing growl.  I'm dying to see this live!!

After such an epic track, it would be difficult to stay focused on the remaining two songs on the EP, but Adust have thought out this EP well and track 5, “Inner Struggle”, sees them battle with self doubt, a neat follow on from “Vicious Cycle”.

All is not doom and gloom though, as final track “The Damaged” gives us hope - telling us not to give in and fight back, whatever our demons.

There is much more to come from Adust, and 2010 promises to be a big year for them - and I for one, eagerly await their first full-length album.


Track List
· Deprecation (intro)
· Losing Faith
· The Evil That Dwells Within
· Vicious Cycle
· Inner Struggle
· The Damaged


“Question the Illogical” is out now on Glasstone Records - www.glasstonerecords.com


You can catch Adust next at The Old Wharf in Birmingham on the 17th October

www.adust.co.uk


Tony Gaskin
for Midlands Rocks