Colourfast
"The Art of One"
(Hybird Gene) 

Colourfast is actually a one-man band featuring the talents of Japanese virtuoso Akira Naito, who (I assume) did everything on this album. This album promises "100% raging metal fury" and "thrash from the east with a difference you will believe." Well, the "raging metal fury" part is right, as the music on this album is thrashing, aggressive, and furious, but it really doesn't sound much different from Pantera to these ears. Aside from the intro "...From Here, which has some industrial flavorings, the seven songs on this album are very Pantera-derivative. Akira's singing sounds very similar to Phil Aslemo's, and the rest of the music is also very much like Pantera. That is not to say that it is bad. Akira is, in fact, quite good at what he does. He is a very talented and skilled musician, his playing is right on target, and he sings like a lion! Also, turning out an album where one plays all is no mean feat, and the music does kick some ass, no doubt about that. For all this, Akira deserves props. But on the other hand, it does sound like Akira is kind of going through the motions and doing this by the numbers, and, as I pointed out, borrowing liberally from Pantera. Not only that, but all the songs kind of sound the same as well. Akira has what it takes to stand on his own, so I would suggest a more original approach.

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