Tag: Slayer

Chaos – Violent Redemption (Review)

ChaosA ripping Thrash Metal début from India.

Solos!

Oops. Sorry. Excuse me; got all carried away then.

Solos!

There we go again…

Apparently this record was almost a decade in the making. I would say it has been time well spent as this is a quality album by a band who are paying homage to the best of the genre and simultaneously paving the way for the future.

This is breakneck Thrash forged in the fires of Slayer and given teeth with a production that lets the talent of the band shine bright.

The songs are mainly short, mostly not even breaking the three minute mark; but who needs longer songs when you can go Metal Thrashing Mad in half the time it takes other bands to get up to speed? And did I mention they have solos? I think I did.

The singer comes across as the bastard love child of Tom Araya and Mille Petrozza, (if you can imagine such a thing), and he does both of his spiritual fathers justice. A voice like nails on a blackboard.

An appropriate soundtrack to accompany you into the pit.

Slaughterday – Nightmare Vortex (Review)

SlaughterdaySlaughterday hail from Germany and play Death Metal. The Old-School is strong with this one! I also love the album cover. I’m a sucker for this kind of otherworldly-landscape type stuff.

The first song Unearthly Evocation sets the scene with a no-fills entrance and some solid riffing. The Old-School Death Metal vibe is apparent throughout, as well as some good Slayer-esque guitar parts that sound quite creepy.

The second song Nightmare Vortex, and the rest of the album, continue this trend. There are some well constructed solos and leads on this release, as well as some considered songwriting. Slaughterday are arguably at their best when going slower; the start of Cult of the Dreaming Dead is a great example of this – twisting, turning riffing building up and crashing down again until the faster section and growls kick in.

Even the vocals have an Old-School feeling – classic Death Metal-deep, without going over the top; you can still make out some of the words.

My favourite track is probably Addicted to the Grave. A nice slow burner with a catchy chorus.

If you have a taste for Old-School Death Metal played well then you could do a lot worse than Slaughterday. This is Metal, played well and enjoyable. I’m sold.

 

Mason – Warhead (Review)

MasonAustralian metallers Mason are a Thrash Metal band with a really lovely crunch to their guitar sound. Elements of Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer – all can be heard in their sound and act as useful reference points for new listeners but Mason certainly have their own identity.

This album is jam-packed with riffs, hooks and catchiness. A high-quality, punchy production ensures the songs have maximum impact, with the band making the most of this by showing that they know their way around their instruments.

The vocals don’t let the rest of the package down either – they are full of character and passion, and capture the essence of the great Thrash singers of the 80s, (and beyond).

Mason have released such a strong album it’s hard to believe this is only their debut, especially with one Jeff Loomis, (Nevermore), adding a solo to Lost it All. If it’s good enough for Jeff it’s good enough for me.

And let’s face it – isn’t that just a great album cover?