Review by J.C. on January 15, 2026.

I started paying attention to Czech melodic death metal two years ago, which led me to listen to F.O.B., and it has remained my favorite Czech band since. Their first album was just delivered to me via express delivery, and listening to the CD feels much better than streaming it online, as it showcases the highlights of the album in superior sound quality. Perhaps due to a lack of interest, this CD was particularly cheap, although the shipping to my country was still quite expensive.

While I consider F.O.B. to be a classic Czech melodic death metal band, their first album is actually difficult to categorize. If classified as traditional death metal, it doesn't evoke the dissonant, eerie, and twisted feeling typical of bands like Morbid Angel and Deicide; if classified as melodic death metal, its melodic lines aren't as melancholic as the Swedish Gothenburg sound, nor as bright as Finnish melodic death metal; and if it falls under death-thrash metal, it still possesses some distinctly melodic lines that distinguish it from other bands in that genre. The entire album is a technical, complex, and melodic amalgamation of death metal that has absorbed the essence of various Czech underground metal bands.

What impressed me most is that the riffs on this album are rarely repetitive and are highly varied. The changes in riffs lead to changes in rhythms and sudden shifts in melodic lines, causing all songs to frequently transition from one section to another unexpected section, and then to the next. In stark contrast, most songs are just over 2 minutes long, yet within such a short span, they manage to pack in so much content, leaving me respect the band's level of writing songs. Solos are not the highlight of this album, but there are a few standout moments. The bass and drums perform their roles excellently, enriching the listening experience of the album. As F.O.B.'s debut, while its recording quality may not match that of the later releases Reap What You Sow and ...And Foes Have Become Our Masters, it exudes a simple and frank feeling, effectively showcasing the intricacy of each note with a precision akin to machine parts.

Notable tracks include The Mask, which starts without an introduction, opening with an unassuming riff; however, it contains bulldozer-like energy, launching a series of interesting sections without any draggy feeling. Whiteness is another song I really enjoy; its arrangement of melodic lines is appropriate, being engaging enough without losing extremeness due to being overly pleasant. In Progress is a purely instrumental track, and it is quite interesting, serving as a conclusion to the first half of the album. The five songs in the latter half are stylistically similar to the first half, but with some different attempts, such as Time Runs So Slowly, which incorporates a bit of grindcore elements, The Horse Blow Job presents strange riffs that interpret its curious title, and Indian Fall, as the final track, attempting an exotic flair. Because I purchased the CD, I can listen to the hidden cover of Kreator, which is exceptionally well done.

The first three demos by F.O.B. are also interesting, but they give the impression that the band was still unsure of what they wanted to do, even incorporating elements of gothic doom. However, the debut album Follow the Instructions is undoubtedly their first mature work and is a good start.

Rating: 9.2 out of 10