The Wraptors hail from Sweden which I thought would give them an automatic edge on the cool o'meter; unfortunately, their self-titled demo album Wraptors, comprised of Kristofer Ronstrom, drums and vocals, Fredrik Persson, base and backup vox, and Pal Callmer on guitar, left a lot to be desired. Their names are cool though. For a band whose members have a previous history of releasing indie rock and death metal in various other incarnations (Logh, Murderplan, Omar, and Kama Sutra) the combination and force of Wraptors is surprisingly bland. Of course, after recording the demo in only two weekends, which unapologetically shows in the listening experience, its easy to see why this band could use a little more honing in the studio.
Close your eyes and take in the CD and its like listening to Scorpion meets Ozzy on a huge dose of valium. While moments bristle with death metal and edgy urgency, everything is slowed down to an unbelievably slow pace, making the transitions between chords and rhythm extremely uncomfortable and confusing. Truth be told, after "Noise Strikes 10", I was ready to throw in the towel and call it a day. But in all fairness, I gave the rest of the album a shot.
I found that Wraptors rely heavily on epic solos, whether drums or guitar. Ronstrom has good strong vocals that get lost under the heavy layers and need to be infused with a little more passion and energy. The age of drawn-out solos is over, we live in an ADD society so I get lost and bored very quickly unless something completely compelling takes my attention and attacks it. Wraptors falls short, but with some actual time and dedication to their craft, they may be able to polish up their sound enough to attract more ears.
