Operation Error - A Sign Of Faith

Tracklisting: 1. The Prayer Of An Ancestor 2. I Am David 3. In My Hands 4. Red Rum 5. A Vision Corrupted 6. Footsteps 7. An Unlikely Exit 8. Drown The Doubt 9. First To Pass 10. Whisper In The Wind 11. The Voice Of Jor-El 12. Your Faith, My Struggle

Record Company: Revolver Digital

Release Date: Monday 10th May 2010

Buy it now:  Amazon

Staffordshire lads Operation Error have come in leaps and bounds since releasing their debut EP The Voice of Jor-El. Having gained some interest from the BBC with airplay and an acoustic session on BBC Radio, the band have slowed things down to concentrate on releasing their debut album, A Sign Of Faith.

Opening track The Prayer Of An Ancestor has some distorted voice over (think Def Leppard's Love Bites) before unleasing a fury of chugging guitar rhythms and settling into a more mid tempo beat with guitars turned down for the vocals of Steve Ayres to shine through. Its a riff-tastic piece that shows that the band have the chops to do great metal tracks.

I Am David, lifted from their first EP is a great moody track with a bursting shout out chorus. There's a real raw energy to this song that's captured well and the guitars of Shaun Winkle and Jonathan Parsons are a real highlight to this band. This song is a real anthem and certain one of the crowd pleasers. In My Hand opens with a nice bass line and melodic guitar riff and even boasts a finger tapping riff (rather Eddie Van Halen like) as the boys cut loose. Footsteps is a real highlight with some heavy riffs and Ayres voice soaring high as is First To Pass and rifftastic Whisper In The Wind which is an anthem and a half.

The album closes with the epic The Voice Of Jor-El and the beautiful acoustic ballad Your Faith, My Struggle which shows the band's softer side and is a real uplifting and inspiring piece and the closing chorus lyrics, "is there a map for lost souls", resonating through.

This band is simply amazing. Main songwriter Shaun Winkle really knows how to craft some masterful songs with songwriting partners Jonathan Parsons and lead singer Steve Ayres. The guitars are melodic and very accessibly and the band cater to more than just the metal category  in my humble opinion. Steve Ayres soulful and deep resonating voice is a real highlight where other bands would have incorporated a more throaty screamo lead singer, his voice really helps to set this band apart from the rest and they deserve all the hype they're getting.