Brutus
„Unison Life“
Prog, Post-Hardcore. Black Vinyl. 2022.

This time I became aware of the Belgian band Brutus through a live recording by WDR Rockpalast. I was particularly impressed by the band's drums, which play a mixture of prog and post-hardcore. The band was founded in Leuven in 2013. Their first album "Burst" was released in 2016. Peter Mulders plays bass and Stijn Vanhoegaerden plays the electric guitar. The music is melodic, hymnic and very powerful. The focal point is Stefanie Mannaerts, who not only plays the drums really well, from soft to powerful, but also has a special voice that conveys great emotions and sometimes reminds me of Björk. The bass and electric guitar add to the emotionality of the music.

Unfortunately, the record, imported from the US, is riddled with crackling noises. It's not bothersome during the loud passages, but it is during the quiet ones. Of course, it could just be my copy; if it weren't from the US, I would have returned it. Even worse is the excessive use of reverb. It sounds like I'm standing in a very long hall and the band is far away. I constantly want to bring the whole band forward and remove the reverb from the guitars and bass. Everything sounds overproduced and muddled together. The often furious vocals get lost in the mix, the guitars sound distant, sometimes as if they're still behind the drums. And their superbly played drums? They're lost in the reverb. If there's ever a remaster, please reduce the reverb, center the drums, bring the vocals forward a bit, and position the guitars and bass to the left and right. Then it will make sense. The music itself deserves better.

Side A begins with "Miles Away." A fairly short, quiet start that, from the middle onward, hints at the power to come. "Brave" hits you like a ton of bricks. The guitar and bass lines convey the impression of a storm! "Victoria," on the other hand, sounds much brighter, but no less powerful in its alternative rock package. I particularly like Peter Mulders' bass lines here. "What Have We Done" is a pure emotional rock anthem that simply sweeps me away, precisely because of its palpable energy. Highlight number one. Highlight number two follows immediately in the form of "Dust." This song is immensely powerful, has slightly progressive elements, and could win over any metalhead. If only it weren't for that perpetual reverb.

Side B begins with the melodic and fast-paced "Liar." The middle is pleasantly calm, and the ending is full of power. "Liar" is highlight number three. "Chainlife" thrives on its more complex drumming. Power? Power! What can I say, "Chainlife" is another highlight. "Storm" doesn't stand out too much, but it's not quite my cup of tea. Still, it's a good song. "Dreamlife" is cleverly conceived and features beautiful vocals that evoke a strong emotional response. "Desert Rain," at 6:47 the longest track, is varied, less melodic, and appeals to me as a prog fan. 

The first time I heard them live, I was immediately swept away. Great vocals, fantastic drumming, great riffs and bass lines. There's boundless energy. Unfortunately, that's not the case on this studio album. Overall, it's still an emotional album with many highlights, but it will probably just gather dust on the shelf. And this music doesn't deserve that.

What do I really think:

Well-crafted, modern metal. There are far too few female vocalists who also play drums. The songs are bursting with energy, and Stefanie's voice ranges from gentle to truly furious. That's what I love about Brutus. But that's precisely what ruins this particular record. It's solely the vinyl production that's so poorly done. The excellent songs and the talented musicians suffer as a result. In its current state, I can only advise against buying this record. Which I deeply regret. The digital streaming version is significantly better, sounding more powerful, even it still has too much reverb.

The photos are all from my LP. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the rights holder. The second photo from Rock am Ring is from: Andreas Lawen / CC-BY-SA-4.0

No AI was used in the making of this Review.
©18.01.2025 (Reworked 06.04.2026)