The 2010 Arsies: January 28, 2010

January 28, 2010

Today, we pit Coalesce against Shadows Fall. This was one of the more interesting and psychological matches so far, not only as a clash of bands but as a clash of styles. Both Coalesce's "OX" and Shadows Fall's "Retribution" are strong albums in their own right, with plenty of ear candy, headbanging, etc etc. in fact, it's not at all easy to dismiss one over the other without also taking some kind of stand: are you the kind of metalhead who prefers the sludgy swagger of bands like Down and Clutch, or do you prefer the technical thrashy speed of bands like Killswitch or Lamb Of God? In the end, it turns out that the Arsies places higher stock in technique than attitude, and so Shads takes the prize, and goes on to challenge Kreator (of all people) in a week's time. Should be interesting!