SUICIDAL WINDS - Chaos Rising (2008)

SUICIDAL WINDS (sweden)
Chaos Rising (2008)
Pulverized Records

This album has been in my P990i music folder for the longest time.. I think for the last 5 months or so. I kind of heard it a couple of times but haven't written anything about this band till now.. Well, they're from Sweden and they play blackened thrash with death metal influences.. The guitars have thrash metal style of playing, blackened lyrics and death metal delivery.

At first, you may mistake the black and white cover artwork for a D.I.Y. cover but actually its just black and white styled to look like D.I.Y. Covers like that are quite a trend in the black underground.

The standard album has eleven thrash tracks but I got twelve including a bonus track that is actually just a bass doodle not really in the vein of the whole album.

Here are some of the thrash tracks:

Slowly We Frost/World's End
The intro is an entire song beautifully dark and evil with slight plucking from one of the guitarist while the other is laying the pavement by distorted guitar then after the whole melody is over it's the world's end with it's high voltage aggression. This song almost symbolizes the word "pulverizing" with its relentless fast lashing out. A relatively short song but done nicely with bass solo parts, a guitar solo and a strong fucking start that really pummels you down with pure harshness and force.

Annihilation And Chaos
This is another onslaught of thrash/death anti anthem. Gives you the picture that you're in the middle of a war zone of metal legions circling around and ready to bring the hurt. I actually like the short guitar solo here kinda reminds you of Kirk in his prime and without the wah-wah effect. Unlike the first song that lays you down gently.. This one is aggressive start to finish.

Chaos Rising
The title track in the middle of the album. This is the pinnacle and epicenter of the whole fucking maelstrom. Short but straight forward combining all their musical influences into a song with pure intensity. This will disintegrate souls.

Straight forward and no pretensions.. short and tight song without mood setting parts. This is pure pain delivered in a terrorizing style. One of the bands that you can practically hear everyone bring something into the sound scape. I love the subliminal bass tracks that spawns out every here and there through out this carnage. The songs may integrate and do sound much a like but if you listen closely these guys really create devastating riffs not found in thrash pretenders. This is truly one thrash album for our collections.



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mnrml/viralreviews/suicidalwinds/chaosrising

HELLISH CROSSFIRE - Slaves Of The Burning Pentagram (2007)

HELLISH CROSSFIRE (germany)
Slaves OF The Burning Pentagram (2006)
I Hate Records

Late night, bad cold, and a splitting headache. Same feeling as earlier doing the 'Sacrifice' review. I'm writing ths review in between cellphone replies and pGMs while this band plays in my Winamp. Great riffs and with raw sounding production.. This is not your average thrash metal band with their dark aura and sound with thrash metal and the extended guitar playing with break-neck speed.. This band is a favorite of the true underground community.

They are fierce and raw like the violent primitives that dwell in hellish places of our worst nightmares. Lurking with primal instinct to kill any foreign being that threatens their place. That place being the thrash throne of metal underground.

There are only seven tracks in this full length album but the tracks exemplifies real rawness of thrash and it's natural form with death and blackened influences to add to the visciousness of the venom they unleash.

Here are some of the tracks:

Claw The Reaper
A brutally fast track with tons of double kicks and staccato beats with he voice of a man maddened man by hellish torture. The riffs here are freakin heavy. From the intro into a mosh groove.. hm.. where have I heard this riff before. The third riff is somewhat in death metal fashion that bring this track further into the depths of hell. Stomping at your dying carcasses burying you deeper in soil.

Hallowed In Fire
This song picks up where the other song left off.. Fast and raw.. This has heavy punk influence.. They went a into a devilish groove of tempting melody in the middle of the song then comes back with an axe and in full speed right back at you with Slayerized guitar solo.. This time a bit shorter than the other guitar solos.. but effective as hell..

Demonic Sacrifice
The riffs here actually haunts me.. Its like a demonic laugh.. Its just me but the riffs here freakin scares me.. but I really don't like the first couple of bar in the guitar solo but they managed to still make it into something awesome by extending it and just blasts with shredding.. The song ends with the same scary riff.

This is an album that is not for everybody nor for those into melodic stuff. This is pure monotonous aggression in raw power. Picking up where the previous track lefts off but manage to add fuckin great riffs in the process. There's a not a whole lot of people that will freakin enjoy with this album because this album is for the criminally insane and that is what thrash metal is all about.


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SACRIFICE - The Ones I Condemn (2009)

SACRIFICE (canada)
The Ones I Condemn (2009)
Marquee Records

Feeling freakin down because of this bad cold I'm having right now. Well, there's nothing to take away this feeling for the meantime so let's scan through thrash metal albums while I have no plans of leaving my room. Sacrifice is a Canadian thrash oldies from way back '85.. They're one of Metal Blade Record's gems before but when an unpredicted turn of knife into their career, they disbanded in 1994.. now with the resurgence of thrash, It breathe new life into this band teaching kids how thrash sounds like.

Their brand of thrash is melodic at the same progressive with prevalent influence of heavy metal than aggressive punk but there are really aggressive moments in the album.. Having influenced by Metallica and Slayer, They do not sound like them and that's a really good thing because they can't be labeled as clones of the two gigantic bands.

Here are some their thrash songs:

Give Me Justice
Fast and with high headbanging power.. One of the songs that I think will be a favorite in gigs of this band. Though it sounds a bit like a song from Lazarus AD but this has more intricate guitar lines.. This song is quite short with only 3 minutes plus but done with nice tastes.. the guitars compliment each other that further widens the sound scape of the band..

The Great Wall
This is a slower song with darker groove than the previous song and longer because this song has two parts, the dark groove song proper and the somewhat encore that totally thrashes your eardrums to an unusable state. This is a bit of the new influence they've been affected these times but their execution of groove remains in the thrash area.

Hiroshima
Probably one of the thrashiest songs in this triumphant return. Tight and aggressive, this song is a destruction to all those that oppose. There is a part when it slows down to a state where the tunes picture out death and destruction and there are even seconds of bass solo fills. This is pure Canadian thrash.

This is one of the bands that deserve wider audience and appreciation because they stuck to their roots even with the trend that's going on.. this guys rose from the dead and lashed out the world filled with fake aggression taking the thrash genre for themselves. This is carnage and with blades of steel that supports the extreme metal genre called thrash to remain alive and in its throne.




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mnrml/viralreviews/sacrifice/theonesicondemn

FORGERY - Harbouring Hate (2009)

FORGERY (nor)
Harbouring Hate (2009)
Candlelight Records

As I have read from other people that already followed this band from the beginning, this guys started way back 1990's but has went to a hiatus after releasing a few demos. They re-emerged in 2002 to release a full length album then went back to hibernating. And finally now in the present year they came back to release another full length album.

For a band that existed since the 90's they do sound modern. There are thrash components and hardcore aggression done in modern production. I'm a fan of old school thrash so this is not really impressive for me. But for the people that digs the modern aggression, this might work for them.

Here are some of the tracks:

Equilibrium
This reminds me of "Big Truck," the song from Dez Fafara's defunct Coal Chamber. Only this song is faster and has more thrash elements but as most of the newcomers today, the guitar solo only lasted 5 seconds and it was barely a guitar solo. The aggression in undeniable and gets you off your seat into a destroy mode and go circles rampaging. This is a great example of mindless aggression at the center of the mosh pit intoxicated by alcohol and high in meth.

Harbouring Hate
The title track of this very aggressive album. This picks up what the previous song left off. Harsh melodies, stomping and raging the speakers. A very hardcore song that never has time to shift the tempo too much. This is a very bitter song of rampage. A state of mind where you go over the top and just blasts out your angry tank till it's empty. Kind of reminds me of that Crank movie. This never stomps running.

Sever
The longest song of this album. Starts fast and vicious pauses a while then comes running back with claws and axes eager to murder again. There's a lot of chugging riffs here and big grooves that is what everybody is doing right now. There are even slow doomy parts here where you can catch your breath then come running back again. Perfect mosh pit songs to be you worked out to a bloody pulp with broken ribs and jaw.

This album is somewhere between Coal Chamber and Diesel Machine. Hardcorish repetitive riffs comprising of two or three chords and this method will go on for almost an hour. This will really test your endurance. Though I wouldn't listen to this three times a week. you should listen to this once a while then bury it for a year or so then put it on again next year.


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mnrml/viralreviews/forgery/harbouringhate

SAVAGE MESSIAH - Inresurrection Rising (2009)

SAVAGE MESSIAH (Eng)
Inresurrection Rising (2009)
Candlelight Records

The cover artwork alone can awe you to scoring this album by any means possible. An English thrash band that doesn't fail to impress with their musicality. They're not aimed to be the next underground brutal band, the have their influence focused on bands like Megadeth. The right mix of thrash aggression and heavy metal classic formulas. They don't force themselves to be heavier than necessary and strays away from the grasps of death metal. After going criminally insane with mindless headbanging from heavier-than-usual bands, Its a refreshing change to listen again to classic heavy metal with sense and melody but with the same integrity.

This is my first time to listen to a record from this band and I'm just lost for words listening to this band while writing this review. Reminds me of Megadeth with high-pitched background vocals similar to Pantera's only thrash album "Cowboys From Hell.." These fellows actually have talent.

Here are some of the tracks:

Inresurrection Rising
The head track. It has a sample at the beginning for a second then straight into a riff fest of heavy fuckin metal the way it should be. Proper pacing and mature songwriting not trying to be uber-heavy. The vocal melody here kind of reminds me of Sebastian Bach and Dave Mustaine with it's hard rock approach yet snarling but blends just right to the music. This song has a high headbanging groove that is irresistible not to get into a headbanging frenzy. The guitar solo is slick and a classic. Not the kind guitarist nowadays do. This is decently longer than the average 5 seconds modern guitar solos.

In Absence Of Liberty
Now this sounds almost like Megadeth in their focused state. Great melody and with the use of acoustic fillers, subliminal bass tracks that break away from the guitar. A cool mellow epic guitar solo that has enough confidence to really bend the notes and show off the skills and it really did great. This song can easily go up the classic metal records.


The Serpent Tongue Of Divinity
The longest title in the album of nine songs and this takes you back to the Cowboys From Hell and Countdown To Extinction era. Though the chorus only says "the serpent's kiss" the actual title is much longer. you can't really deny the similarities with Megadeth and you'll go on rambling over and over while the band unleashes it's fury.


This band will go a long way and they are by far one of the best bands that rose from the thrash metal revival these times. And not actually sounding like Slayer but still earns the thrash title. This goes to show that you don't need to scream all the time to be heavy or aggressive. You don't have to break every speed record known to man just to make a name for yourself. It's just the right influence and proper pacing. This album has it all and even great production of the recording.


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mnrml/viralreviews/savagemessiah/inresurrectionrising

CHAOS SYNOPSIS - Kvlt Ov Dementia (2009)

CHAOS SYNOPSIS (bra)
Kvlt Ov Dementia (2009)
Psycho Records


A silent night of boredom at home and I put on this band called Chaos Synopsis that hails from the same ground as metal legends Sepultura. Yes, this Brazilian thrash/death machine rampages your speakers like a pissed mammoth tank ready to go to war. Relentless and no pauses for air. And this debut album wages a full assault of battery to your ears as the fury of their songs rages without mercy from start to finish.

This three-piece band will take no prisoners with great production and instrumentation that takes thrash to more brutal grounds of mass deafening. This is the perfect destroyer of silence. The guitar rampages like a storm of broken glass while the bass produces a steel sound that adds more crunching madness to the overall sound of chaos.

Here are the tracks that hits the hardest:

Blinding Chains
The spread of chaos don't come any faster that this. The riffs while some barely resembles their Sepultura ancestral influence they made it so loud you wouldn't recognize it anyway and even you even notice it they already changed the riff. There is a technical part near the end of the song that shoves Krisiun out of the way with no respect whatsoever. Try and follow the bass lines here. There are a lot of subliminal bass tracks in this one.

Spiritual Cancer
Opens like a Slayer song. I really love the bass sound of the whole album. It's as metallic sounding as Overkill's bass sound. These guys never runs out of fuel. This song is relatively slower song the the rest but equally as powerful as the rest. Don't think I didn't catch the ala Kirk Hammett guitar solo riffs in this track but "Complain and die." Nobody has a problem with that.

2100 AD
A song with another great intro and main riff that even metal icons failed to play. A collision of thrash's insane speed and the chaos of death metal extremes. This song teaches you how to play thrash metal and death metal in its brutal form. Expect no mercy from one of the harshest thrash death bands from Brazil.

Relentless aggression, metal to the bones approach and a rage of a full blown maelstrom. This band shoves, pushes, claws, punches, and does everything to harm you. This band has enough firepower to obliterate an entire genre of pretenders and calls you back to how thrash/death sounds like.. Add blackened lyrics to the arsenal and you have a war machine roaring to annihilate anything that stands in it's way. This is a very very harsh band.


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mnrml/viralreviews/chaossynopsis/kvltovdementia

ABSTRACT RAPTURE - Democadencia (2008)

ABSTRACT RAPTURE (lux)
Democadencia (2008)
Maddening Media

I hear this Luxembourg band placed high in the 2007 Wacken Metal Battle. How could they not? They sound like Soulfly with the old Sepultura and a dash of melodic influence from In Flames. That combination kills..The aggression of the Brazilian thrashers plus the gothenburg melody of In Flames. That certainly added the screws to the bolts.

This band sounds great thanks to the input of their vocalist with an interesting name, Brittt. Even though I'm listening to this album through busted up speakers made in the worst possible way and multitasking through GOTB gms and new recruits, This band still stands out with their music and really don't content themselves by being just a background music kinda band. Their music still kicks the freaking speakers to it's demise.

Here are some of the tracks:

Democadencia
The lead track and album title track. Starts almost like marching the army of metal to the mosh pit. Undeniably the vocals sound like Max Cavalera with actual singing abilities. Kind of weak for me to be the lead and title track because the instruments are not firing at all cylinders. The first few bars in the beginning of the song lets the vocals and the drums do the job and the guitars are just chugging. Although if you're into the nu music this is a great song but to brand it thrash is quite a stretch for me.

Noxious Utopia
This song does better more vocal angst and effective venom from Drittt. The guitars fire more in this song and the mixture of aggressive vocals with melodic delivery. Still sounding like new music but these guys do it with authority and brings a hell of a punch with this song. The lyrics are highly repetitive but done in good taste so I can't complain with this song. They did great.

The Void
This is a jumpy fucked up song designed for the mosh pit. More double guitar melodies and the chorus melody kinda reminds me of our very own modern Slapshock sound. They just sound a little harsher and more guitar effects used in this song but if you don't know this guys, and you're a Filipino, it's hard not to notice the resemblance with Slapshock because of their melodic and catchy choruses.

Now with all of the things put together that you may have an idea that these guys do great, their actually missing some of the things that would make them really superb. With they're melody, maybe they should try a few ballads to prevent the album from being just a screaming mad album but that's just a little detail. I just hope they grow more roots than concentrate in having leaves for now. a talented band that we don't want to see wasted on the second album.


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mnrml/viralreviews/abstractrapture/democadencia

A PERFECT MURDER - War Of Aggression (2007)

A PERFECT MURDER (can)
War Of Aggression (2007)
Victory Records


As usual, I'm multi-tasking while doing this review like it did last night with this band's 3rd album. Now I'm listening to their 4th and final album. Seems they have called it quits when Victory Records decided to pull the plug on their tour support. That's such a sad news but anyway, let's hear out the final aggression from this band, A Perfect Murder.

This album finds this band going to a more melodic approach but increases other characteristics as well, there are more input of their hardcore roots here and more melodic experiments being introduced to the record. I think this record is an good attempt to break away from the shadows of their predecessors in this genre of music. The songs are shorter and tighter and more influences were introduced to the mix.

Same angry band with more mature approach this time with more melodic but simpler approach than the previous album. Here are some of the tracks:

In Hell
This is a jumpy hardcore tune that have enough decibels to leave a ringing in your ears for a long time. Hardcore is the main component here with open chord groove that will make the masses jump the fuck up and just be consumed by the hardcore rage of this song. This is as hard as the concrete streets and it's violent community and primal survival instincts. Less southern influence and more urban approach. The tune gives you an idea how hard life can be and this song punches harder.

Rapture
a decent intro of timing slowly building intensity then blows. another song with real cool groove lines with a splash of dark imagery to the sound. One of the coolest guitar solos if it were a little longer. Melodic guitar solo amidst the hard rhythm onslaught. The "whoaa!" says it all.. that's how you can enjoy such hard music with impulses of inner violent grooves. Very nice song.

Disconnect
a stomping song with a little dose of classic guitar influences. This sounds like Pantera again from the trendkill era. Decent but short guitar solos that almost like just guitar fills. This maybe the sound of Pantera if they stayed with their hardcore influence. Short, hard but effective, while not the song that stands out from the rest this still packs a lot of punch and earns its dent with the rest of the songs.

While going the more metalcore/hardcore influences in this album, this album has better guitar solos if they were not so short. Not to align them with the classic metal tunes, we have to agree that these guys have tons of headbanging grooves that screaming so loud that is undeniable even with other genres of metal. But even with their hard outer shell, there is also a gasp of air in this collection of hard tunes. "Fortunate Son" is the track I'm talking about. After listening to two albums of hard as concrete impact groove-core the stoner like mellow song is much appreciated. I just hope that they reform another band that will carry this sound to the next possible level of their musical venture.

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mnrml/viralreviews/aperfectmurder/warofaggression

A PERFECT MURDER - Strength Through Vengeance (2009)

A PERFECT MURDER (can)
Strength Through Vengeance (2005)
Victory Records

This is a hard review because I'm multi-tasking right now and A Perfect Murder's Strength Through Vengeance, their 2005 album is blasting through the speakers. Another busy night but the strength, I'm getting from this band's infectious groove sounding like no other than the great Texan quartet, Pantera.

It's nice to relive the old Texas thrash music that has been missing and gaps the hard music lately. Die hard Pantera fans should check this band out because even if they sound a lot like Pantera, they're a cool band that is worthy enough to walk the path of the cowboys from hell.

I'm catching their songs randomly because of my job transferring files the old stupid way because I haven't put up the network in this computers. But here are some of the tracks:

Strength Through Vengeance
The first track and the title track of the album. Even if they sound a lot like Pantera, hurting the ears with menacing Phil Anselmo growls, the instruments sounds like a thrash Metallica song. listen closely to the guitars both rhythm and lead guitar style and delivery. Going full blast with full strength and a very effective aggressive approach that shows their promise and claim to the throne left vacant for them. It's like Damage Inc. all over again with Phil doing the vocals. Nice idea combining two titanic forces in metal.

Black Hate Machine
This is what I'm talking about. A newer music surge with hardcore balls and metal ammunition to conquer by force. Great groove elements and effective drum pattern. The guitar patterns here comes close to the great Darrell's signature sound. Bouncy and has tons of bending steel. This is a demanding song. This demands not just attention but respect through a violent way. growling and menacing with tight instrumentation.

Wake Up And Die
Filled with attitude and the ever present breakdowns but as the usual sound of their heroes, there's a lot of bending strings. This song takes the strongest points of groove and hardcore. Energetic and never seems to get their tanks empty with high voltage energy to creative superb songs that is never too boring to listen to. Pure relentless attitude from start to end. The ending of this song just jerks the music out leaving you gasping for air.

As some might stray away because of the apparent similarities of A Perfect Murder with Pantera and there is nothing worst than a copycat in music. You might give these fellows a chance because their music has great tunes that would really make the cowboys bang their heads. Living and the rested.

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mnrml/viralreviews/aperfectmurder/strengththroughvengeance