Artist: Angelus Apatrida
Release Title: Hidden Evolution
Year: 2015
Label: Century Media Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Immortal
2.First World of Terror
3.Architects
4.Tug of War
5.Serpents on Parade
6.Wanderers Forever
7.End Man
8.Speed of Light
9.I Owe You Nothing
10.Hidden Evolution
Having broken through the international market, Spanish thrashers Angelus Apatrida have gathered a formidable live reputation on the back of countless touring in their home state and abroad which has honed their razor-sharp thrash to a fine whole. After a three-year gap between releases, the consistent and long-running group prepares its fifth full-length release January 15, 2015 on Century Media Records.
As has been the case for their previous albums, this here is a ripping and furious blast of revival thrash that brings about a rather enjoyable attack throughout here. The fact that this is based on frantic swirling thrash patterns filled with plenty of furious rhythms and a strong adherence to the arrangements of the old-school scene that readily makes for a rather explosive effort here ranging from the blistering full-throttle tempos to the more relaxed and laid-back tempos. This approach is greatly enhanced by the band’s penchant for strong melodic leads woven throughout the main riff-work as well as the dexterous soloing and gives this a rather dynamic balance to counter the strong crunch of their traditional thrashing at the forefront of the bands’ attack. Given that the ravenous thrashing here makes up the majority of the album, those varied approaches are at the forefront of the album’s relentless and intense charge that gets featured strongly here at times, and that makes the melodic interjections all the more impressive and dynamic. Still, it’s the bands’ fiery charge here that makes the most impact even with these melodies sprinkled throughout here, and work incredibly well in giving this a wholly vicious and ravenous attack that gives this one so much to really like. That said, there is a lot to really like here with the album being a bit bloated with tracks a bit too long for their own good, especially in the second half with several epics that could’ve been trimmed down some and not really lost a lot of their impact at all. This, though, is really all that bothers it.
Despite having some minor issues here at keeping the rhythms as confined as they could be, this is still a ripping and thoroughly enjoyable surge of modern revival thrash that manages to work more often than not and makes for a rather appealing effort for those who satiate over the revival scene or simply thrash in general.
Artist: Töxik Waltz
Release Title: Declassified
Year: 2016
Label: Eventhink Metal Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Abduction
2.Thrash Metal Dictatorship
3.Beyond the Wall of Sleep
4.Island of Death
5.Politician
6.Srebrenica
7.Octogenarian Violence
8.Loudmouth
9.Thrashing Like a Maniac
Formed back in 2009, Spanish thrashers Töxik Waltz came together as Madhouse before adopting their current moniker following a slew of lineup changes that signified the bands’ current direction to deliver the most old-school sounding thrash in the scene. Finally able to expand beyond the boundaries of their home country, the groups’ debut full-length was initially released September 10, 2016 on Eventhink Metal Records.
Harboring the love for their old-school style, the group is clearly and obviously intent on exploring that style throughout here which makes for a rather impressive time. Focusing on tight, crunchy riff-work and a generous mid-tempo pacing for this series of patterns, there’s a wholly enjoyable series of rhythms throughout here due to the album generating this impressive style of old-school flavored attack. It’s pretty simplistic overall and really only generates any kind of special energy with the selected addition of fiery, frantic riffing that adds a much-needed sense of energy into the otherwise one-note rhythms elsewhere throughout the album which is what tends to be it’s lone minor downfall. The album contains plenty of tight, crunchy patterns and certainly competent performances, but otherwise, there’s not a whole lot else throughout here to get as worked up about considering the lack of variety in the overall presentation as the album tends to focus on the mid-tempo almost exclusively. This can make the album somewhat repetitive as it carries along, especially with all the tracks pretty much the exact same length of time overall, so this one gets a great attack that’s carried to excessive lengths of repetition here with the same riffing, and while this can be overlooked due not only to the enjoyment carried out here by the competence of their attack as well as this being a debut offering, it does lower this one slightly.
Although it does need a little extra variety and a series of different rhythms to help distinguish them from the pack, this is still an incredibly solid and enjoyable burst of old-school influenced mid-paced thrash that works well enough for devout followers of that style or those that enjoy the more mid-paced side of the genre.
Artist: Immortal Shadow
Release Title: Horror Circus
Year: 2017
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Thrill for the Hunt
2.Shadow of North
3.My Death My Liberation
4.Immortal
5.They Would Be Better Dead
6.Ragnarok
7.In Your Grave
8.Veil of Maya
9.Horror Circus
10.Fear in My Head
Formed back in 2006, Spanish melodic death metallers Immortal Shadow initially came together with the sole aim of playing metal with friends which has brought out a combination of the hard and heavy riffs with the melody of twin guitars that intertwined into the old style. Finally getting to their first release, the groups’ full-length debut was originally self-released January 23, 2017.
Once this gets going, there’s a rather pronounced and explosive melodic air throughout here that’s quite heavily accented in the music. This comes from the rather rabid twin-guitar riffing that propels the tracks throughout here, giving this one plenty of rather tight and condensed thrashing patterns that offer plenty to like here due to the speed-driven rhythms and pacing present. That brings out the melodic flurries incredibly well while letting the frothing intensity get worked up strongly to a much more frantic setting than expected with the riff-work getting into much deeper and blistering settings during the mid-tempo sections.being graced with a melodic accent during these frantic sections gives this the kind of balance due to these sweeping melodic accents over frantic, charging patterns. Given that this comes off with a lot more energetic punch than expected, the album does make a strong initial impression even with the fact that there’s a slight issue to be had with the albums’ condensed and shorter feeling. The tracks here are quite short overall, all being pretty much straight-up three minutes long and don’t offer up too many chances to really explore the genre all that well. It gets caught up in the brevity issue more than anything else here which would enhance the melody a lot more had the arrangements been able to breathe more than what’s on offer. It’s not that detrimental, though, and really doesn’t let a lot of the fun get diminished.
An incredibly fun debut offering, this one really offers a lot more than expected and gets some really engaging work in here and although it does have a few minor issues on display the fact that there’s more to like about it makes this a solid choice to explore for fans of intensity-driven melodeath or the genre in general.
Artist: Violblast
Release Title: Conflict
Year: 2016
Label: Suspiria Records
Genre: Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Deep into Darkness
2.Conflict
3.Wielders of Fear
4.Sings of a Murder
5.Invisible Death
6.Reprisal
7.Paths of Aggression
8.Bearing Witness
9.Individuality
Formed as Betrayer in 2012, Spanish thrashers Violblast quickly adopted their current moniker in order to perform quite vicious and intense thrash throughout their homeland which enabled them to hone their craft into a debut EP release. After several years of promoting that release, the group finally prepares their full-length debut November 25, 2016 on Suspiria Records.
From the start, this here comes off as a tight, ravenous and fully ferocious offering with plenty of truly thunderous and vicious thrash on display. Employing a far more tight and modern form of the style here with a slight old-school bent, this one goes for the ravenous approach in it’s riff-work with great results here with the crunchy patterns clearly putting this one in the thrash realm keeping this one flying along at truly explosive rhythms due to the high-flying speed on display. That offers the highest value here within this one as the album just flies along quite ably diving into tight thrash patterns in the riff-work while utilizing a series of straightforward arrangements to carry this along while still managing to get a large amount of work out of the occasional use of classic thrash-era arrangements which adds an extra dose of chaos to the proceedings by balancing up the truly ravenous sections against more controlled and refined segments which makes for a truly enjoyable thrashing experience. The main minor stumbling block here comes from the album’s tightly-wound riffing structure which doesn’t really let the album breathe all that often and causes it to zoom by way too quickly here as there’s not a whole lot of really lengthy pieces here. That could’ve given the riffing the space to really work wonders had it just been stretched out by a few minutes overall with a couple extra moments on each track to really give this one the opportunity to really enjoy the fruits of its labor, which can be a factor to explore in the future.
Managing on a few minor problems that really could be worked out in their future work, this ends up being quite the enjoyable and explosive ravenous thrash album with some old-school influences that works incredibly well for those that enjoy this more intense side of the genre or want something more than just another Bay-Area ripoff.
Artist: Necroven
Release Title: Primordial Subjugation
Year: 2016
Label: Memento Mori
Genre: Retro Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Sacrificial Deliverance
2.The Pyre Cycle (Burn in Solitude)
3.Primordial Subjugation
4.The Ethereal
5.Esoteric Entropy (Gateway to the End)
6.Martyrs of Repentance
7.Serpents Crawl Stealthy
Continuing to honor their influences, Spanish death metallers Necroven have brought out a series of blistering, seething styles of death metal brought about by their unrelenting rage into a series of dark, festering cryptic music. Taking a four-year gap from their last full-length album, and only a two-year gap from their last overall release that sees mastermind J.R. joined by full-time bassist F.C,, the groups’ second full-length album was released October 24, 2016 on Memento Mori.
Almost immediately this here is basically centered around the idea of utilizing the old-school manner of attack throughout with plenty of explicitly enjoyable rhythms due to this. Firing off plenty of razor-sharp and churning old-school rhythms throughout here with a violent intensity, the main approach here with the riff-work is that semblance of stylized churning patterns that offer up plenty of strong sprawling patterns throughout here which come together with the series of darkened riffing to create a tight, nearly blackened atmosphere that’s wholly impressive and damaging when the band unleashes the full force of this assault. When coupled with the sparkling tremolo leads over the top this becomes all the more closely associated with the grand dark atmospherics and generates the kind of truly blistering setting for the band to really explore that to the fullest, yet it also highlights the first of the album’s few, barely negligible flaws. The main issue here is the fact that there’s just not a whole lot of opportunity for the band to readily explore many other elements here with the bands’ mostly straightforward approach running throughout the tracks not allowing it to really go anywhere else. This here is so strictly a single-minded assault of old-school influenced death metal that it doesn’t do anything really different here in the rhythms which are so steadfast in their determination to homage that style that it ends up dragging out the songs a little too long that, incidentally, is the other minor issue here in that there’s little reason for the songs here to be this long other than cover for the shorter run-time and especially running in the strict old-school manner as it does here. Still, these here are all that really crops up about the album.
While there’s not a great deal of innovation or variety here with the band blasting through their old-school worship in a relatively straightforward manner, the majority of this album works with a sense of dark, intense atmosphere that should make this wholly appealing to old-school fanatics or fans of this style of revivalist death metal.
Artist: Advermix
Release Title: Pandeathmic
Year: 2016
Label: Born of Chaos Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Born of Chaos
2.Messenger of Death
3.The Power of the Perfect Line
4.Panje
5.Manhate Philosophy
6.Inside the Wall
7.We Fall
8.In Thrash We Trust
9.Pandeathmic
Formed in 2006, Spanish thrashers Advermix have made quite a name for themselves in the Spanish underground metal scene as the disciples of old-school thrash metal have gained in maturity and experience through each of their releases. Following up a series of EP releases and a strong three-way split, the group finally prepares to issue its full-length debut released May 31, 2016 on Born of Chaos Records.
Bristling with fury and intensity, the group unleashes a rather vicious surge of old-school thrash here with plenty of furious and truly frantic rhythms that employ every inch of the traditional thrashing that makes for a wholly crushing and dynamic offering. The fiery, vibrant rhythms featured here generate the kind of explosive energy and hard-hitting crunchy chugging that’s a hallmark of the style and is graced alongside the fine and enjoyable introduction of the album’s more mid-tempo work featured here. This melodic, bouncy series of patterns comes in and gives this a majestic feel with it’s mid-tempo, plodding series of riffing that still offers up that rumbling crunch that keeps this in a firmly old-school thrash design that’s boosted nicely by these melodic features. Though that works nicely, it does make the album quite a bit less interesting as the album is much more fired up and lively when it’s going through the up-tempo style while it tends to drop off in energy and intensity with the melodic accents coming in and not really letting the album go through it’s paces all too greatly. The crunchy patterns are all too short as well, making this one feel way too brief than it really should and the album’s really over just when it feels like it’s starting up. Otherwise, there’s some good work here.
Though it’s not quite as ruthless as it really should with the introduction of the slightly melodic tones that hold it down from it’s true thrashing sections which really stand-out here when they appear and make it worthwhile for old-school fanatics who can appreciate the flaws of this one.
Artist: Crisix
Release Title: From Blue to Black
Year: 2016
Label: Listenable Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Conspiranoia
2.Journey Through the Fire
3.G.M.M. (The Great Metal Motherfucker)
4.T-Terror Era
5.Psycho Crisix World
6.From Blue to Black
7.Strange
8.Five as One
9.Fallen
Quickly rising up through the scene, Spanish thrashers Crisix have turned themselves into one of the brightest spots in the crowded revival scene with a strong flurry of releases leading up to yet another explosive offering. With long-time bassist Marc Torras departing and being replaced by Dani Ramirez, the group prepares its third full-length effort March 18, 2016 on new label Listenable Records.
For the majority of the album, this one manages to readily employ the kind of tight, ravenous old-school thrash that readily bursts with a savage and utterly ferocious attitude. This bristles with plenty of furious speed-metal patterns which are given a wide-ranging dexterity here which makes for even more great times here as the band is able to whip around the hard-hitting, furious barn-burners to upbeat mid-tempo stompers that give off a lively party-anthem vibe in the riffing and groove-laden chunks of crunchy riff-work which give this a stylish sense of variety to the album as a whole while still managing to maintain an effective old-school atmosphere in the riffing structure. Though that laid-back, party-fun ambiance is quite prominent in here the fact that it can still lay down the thrashing anthems is what really sells this one as the ability to bounce back and forth is a great advantage in offering up a varied and engaging effort, though it also exposes the minor issue that crops up here. Indeed, the album’s wildly varying tone and approach might in fact rub some the wrong way when it comes to those looking for an intense and rocking thrasher which the band is quite clearly competent at, and while there’s not a big tonal shift present when it comes to offering up the other tracks it does have some lower tempos that stick out here for those that prefer straightforward and full-throttle thrashing. Still, it’s not a big detriment on the album and gives this a rather enjoyable atmosphere and tone.
Despite featuring one minor element that doesn’t really impact the album that much but does become somewhat noticeable at times, this ends up being yet another strong and impactful release from one of the strongest thrash acts in the revival scene and makes for a stellar addition to any retro-thrash or old-school thrash fan in general.
Artist: Crimson Slaughter
Release Title: Cycle of Decay
Year: 2016
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Combat Formations
2.Endless War
3.Buried Beneath the State
4.Dead Walk Again
5.Bred to Obey
6.Wretch God
7.Battlefields
8.Kill of Be Killed
9.My Fist, Your Face
10.Punisher
Formed just recently in 2015, Spanish thrash metal band Crimson Slaughter came together from members of other metal bands in the southern area of Madrid with the intent of showcasing their love for old-school metal. Quickly taking the plunge into releasing their first works out to the public, the group prepares their self-released full-length debut June 27, 2016.
Frankly, this here is quite an impressive and wholly enjoyable retro-thrash assault that begins with the wholly blistering riffing here. Taking the deep, heavy churning crunch of the Bay Area scene and wrapping that into a frenzied, explosive mix of up-tempo patterns that generate a kind of off-the-rails intensity that results in utterly frantic, blistering rhythms full of dynamic and tight patterns. This frantic energy is quite enjoyable with plenty of utterly frantic rhythms and explosive, charging riff-work carrying this along without much deviation throughout here as the full-throttle paces generate the kind of enhancement required to generate this kind of frenzied patterns that are featured throughout here with the extra dose of up-tempo riffing here generating the old-school feel here quite nicely alongside the fine mix of varied tempos and rhythm changes that add a balance to the energetic thrashing. This is such a fine and energetic old-school assault that it manages to readily capture that feel to such a degree that it really doesn’t have an original bone in it’s body as it runs through the paces in such a manner as to emulate and ape the scene quite frequently. It’s effective at conjuring that sound and style, but so do dozens of other bands and it’s all part of the endless crop of bands attempting the same thing. As well, the hoarse shrieking vocals can take some getting used to, but beyond that there’s not much else wrong here.
Though this becomes yet another frenzied and energetic band working in the same playbook as dozens of other groups, there’s an infectious and utterly uproarious amount of style here that makes this one quite enjoyable and frantic to those that appreciate this reckless brand of revival thrash or the style as a whole.
Artist: Agresiva
Release Title: Eternal Foe
Year: 2012 (2016 re-issue)
Label: Self-Released/Independent (Minotauro Records re-issue)
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Nocturnia
2.Pale Horse (Red D'eath)
3.Hell Town
4.The Glorious Revolution
5.The End of the Game
6.Eternal Foe
7.Sent to War
8.If
9.Betrayed
Formed in the summer of 2008, Spanish thrashers Agresiva quickly set out to put their Bay Area influences to the forefront as the groups’ first demo showcased their fiery brand of old-school inspired thrash. Being the first release with new drummer Chus Maestro after replacing original member Axel Ramirez as well as being the last release with founding guitarist Eduardo Chamón, their full-length debut was originally independently released March 12, 2012 before being reissued February 19th, 2016 on Minotauro Records.
Considering their influences, this one is pretty obviously a ripping old-school thrash band influenced mightily by the Bay-Area tactics and rule-book. From the tight, crunchy and explosive riffing it offers a rather enjoyable display of old-school thrash that manages to run the gamut from the dynamic up-tempo gallops to the moody mid-tempo style that slows down the rhythms to act as a melodic buffer, the majority of the album carries the rather explosive and charging feel of the late-80s thrash scene. With the dominant usage of the galloping rhythms and tempos here this one really gets a strong sense of charging atmosphere present here that manages to get this one going for some pretty intense and aggressive rhythms with only a few occasional melodic breaks to change things over with this one really generating the melodic breaks throughout here that keeps the rhythms from exploding the way the typical thrash acts do. This ends up creating a more melodic but still up-tempo and intense variant on the old-school style which is quite an enjoyable style which isn’t all that different or dynamic from numerous other bands in this style. It’s quite identical to many others out there in the scene which manages to make this feel quite a bit down from that particular style. While it’s still fun, this here is what ends up holding this one back.
Despite some minor problems with this one, there’s still more than enough to really like here that manages to make for quite a enjoyable and mostly blazing old-school influenced attack that makes this one an fine enough curiosity piece for the most devout revivalist thrash-aficionados or fans of latin-country metal acts.
Artist: Hitten
Release Title: State of Shock
Year: 2016
Label: No Remorse Records
Genre: Traditional Heavy Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Wrong Side of Heaven
2.Don't Be Late
3.Can't Bring Me Down
4.Victim of the Night
5.Rites of the Priest
6.State of Shock
7.Liar
8.Endless Race
9.Chained to Insanity
10.Eternal Force
Coming together in 2011, Spanish traditional heavy metallers Hitten have wasted little time building a discography that pays tribute and worship to the greats of the genre’s past with their first releases issued within a calendar year of formation. With a solid lineup focusing on delivering classic metal formulas, the group releases their second full-length album March 1, 2016 on No Remorse Records.
Right from the start this one here is so overtly and unashamedly old-school that it’s impossible to tell that love blazes through their music as it simply unleashes a cavalcade of classic heavy metal workouts into their music. Focusing on charging dual speed-metal rhythms that bring about a rather impressive and dynamic energy to the music with the full-throttle charge featured working nicely together with the furious crunchy riff-work. This blend of old-school influences is great at perfecting this atmosphere where it’s able to generate fiery, full-throttle ragers dripping with classic speed metal patterns and a furious crunch to go hand-in-hand with the album’s more epic, restrained mid-tempo attitudes that are quite well measured against these more fiery and frenetic rhythms which produces a compelling balance between the two genres. While it’s one thing to be able to hit that kind of energy and attitude, the fact this is accomplished with the whole production taking on that kind of approach is quite another with this one really driving forward in that kind of attitude and infectious energy that conjures up the tone and atmosphere found in the old-school which is what does knock this one down somewhat as the album is such a hugely influenced throwback that it really doesn’t do much of anything truly original or creative. Instead, it relies far more on it’s engaging spirit and infectious playing to win over the listener, and while that works incredibly consistently the fact that not enough of it is really unique or creative does allow this one to slip slightly even though that infectiousness is what makes it so fun.
This is clearly one of the more impressive and enjoyable groups in this particular style and manages to get so much right here that it’s set of minor flaws are so kept in check that there’s much more to like here as this one is perfectly suited for any fan of the old-school metal sound or the revivalist bands using that style.
Artist: Vampyrsgard
Release Title: Phantom der Nacht
Year: 2015
Label: The Horror Dimension
Genre: Black Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Vampyrsgard
2.Believe in Darkness
3.Sensual Neck
4.Phantom der Nacht
5.Fallen
6.Under the Power of the Midnight Fullmoon
7.Black Coffin
8.Deliciuous Blood
The debut album from Spanish black metal band Vampyrsgard comes off as a rather intriguing and at times enjoyable release from a band without any releases prior to this point. From the onset this here seems to be set-up primarily as a rather traditional outfit just with a much more melodic bent to the music. The main genesis is still swirling tremolo-picked patterns straight from the second-wave Norwegian originators, though they get balanced out by much heavier melodic leads running throughout the tracks. There’s a solid usage here towards generating the more up-tempo variety to really work nicely overall here utilizing a more mid-tempo and plodding pace within the confines of it’s simplistic style here of it holding onto a steady pace without overdoing or needlessly complicating itself than it really has to here, giving the songs a nice impact without offering up tons of over-used rhythms or patterns. This does feel very nice when the tracks work, but it can lead to deathly boring affairs when the pacing and songwriting aren’t up to par which is the main element holding this one back. It’s a problem inherent in the tracks due to the bands’ overall inexperience and youthful age where it hasn’t had the opportunity in really honing in on their prefered style rather than just jumping out with a full-length effort right from the start where honing out how to properly make their style a lot more cohesive, and that does manage to stick out here because of that..
The first half here does showcase the bands’ attitude the best on here. Opener ‘Vampyrsgard’ features utterly blistering tremolo riff-work and frantic drumming that settle into a rather steady pace with a thumping drive to the main rhythms alongside the ambient keyboards driving along through the clanking tremolo patterns swirling throughout the final half for a solid opening impression. ‘Believe in Darkness’ takes a gradual build-up with pounding drumming and stylized mid-tempo tremolo riff-work building along to the thumping drumming and stylish mid-tempo paces running along with the thumping rhythms holding alongside the pounding patterns of the finale for an enjoyable enough offering. ‘Sensual Neck’ utilizes impressive swirling tremolo-pitched patterns and steady, simplistic pounding drumming to keep the steady tempos in place throughout the melodic main rhythms running with the simplistic and rather stylish mid-tempo rhythms carrying through into the final half for a nice highlight offering. The title track uses a light acoustic intro before blaring into raging, frantic patterns with furious blasting drumming and melodic swirling tremolo patterns leading throughout the highly melodic up-tempo swirling riff-work pounding along throughout the finale for another strong back-to-back highlights.
Though fallen from the upper half, this one does have some decent enough moments in the second half. ‘Fallen’ uses an extended melancholic intro before turning into a stylish mid-tempo series of swirling tremolo riff-work with pounding up-tempo drumming keeping the steady patterns along throughout the droning endless swirling riffing holding throughout the final half for an enjoyable if still somewhat bland effort. The instrumental ‘Under the Power of the Midnight Fullmoon’ also utilizes the acoustic lead-in that runs along through the swirling riff-work with plenty of melodic leads and simplistic drumming throughout the mid-tempo pace leading into the finale for a solid mid-album breather. ‘Black Coffin’ features melodic swirling rhythms and steady, simplistic riff-work droning on into an endless series of swirling slow-tempo patterns as the drum-work keeps the plodding tempo in check throughout the plodding rhythms into the final half for a rather bland and drawn-out offering. Lastly, album-closer ‘Delicious Blood’ uses tight swirling riff-work and blasting drumming throughout the steady mid-tempo patterns holding the droning melodic leads nicely alongside the simplistic drumming that nicely brings the swirling tremolo riff-work throughout the finale for a solid lasting impression.
Though the bands’ inexperience and youth does become apparent at times throughout here, there’s enough quality and worthwhile moments here that it doesn’t hold back to where it should end up appealing quite nicely with fans of older black metal or those that prefer the slower, heavier side of the genre.
Artist: Wormed
Release Title: Krighsu
Year: 2016
Label: Season of Mist
Genre: Brutal/Technical Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Pseudo-Horizon
2.Neomorph Mindkind
3.Agliptian Codex Cyborgization
4.The Singularitarianism
5.Eukaryotic Hex Swarm
6.Computronium Pulsar Nanarchy
7.A-Life Omega Point
8.57889330816.1
9.Zeroth-Energy Graviton
10.Molecular Winds
The third full-length from Spanish brutal/tech death masters Wormed captures the insanity and blistering performances that once put them on the map in the first place. From the outset this effort places with the sort of mechanical approach to the riffing style that it really manages to overwhelm on just that level alone, whipping up whirlwinds of savage rhythms with a stunningly complex and challenging series of patterns and arrangements that make for a truly engaging time displaying this kind of intensity at that velocity. The utterly pummeling drumming furthers this nicely with it just obliterating everything around it with a sense of blistering devastation carrying those tightly-wound rhythms along throughout the rather impressive and dynamic paces here. Even grooving along at mid-tempo doesn’t alter this one up that much as the blasting drumming and tight, challenging rhythms offer this one with a complex and truly overwhelming cohesion with the faster tracks that it doesn’t deter or slow down the momentum all that much. Tying all this together with the cosmic/celestial theme makes for a truly exhilarating experience as well by making such a seamless mixture with the rampaging brutality and mechanical technicality that there’s little doubt it should’ve been mixed together from the start and gives this a truly enjoyable experience. The shorter interludes here don’t really offer much beyond breathers in an otherwise clobbering and devastating offering, but there’s little about it that needs fixing it’s nearly perfect as is.
The first half here sets things up utterly well. Opener ‘Pseudo-Horizon’ slowly turns into utterly pounding, unrelenting drumming and ferocious, frenzied riff-work taking on challenging patterns keeping the speed-drenched patterns and challenging arrangements utterly drenched in challenging riff-work as the blasting drum-work continues on throughout the final half for an utterly explosive and dynamic opening effort. ‘Neomorph Mindkind’ immediately works through complex chugging rhythms and frenetic blasting drumming with plenty of ferocious patterns firing along into a stuttering mid-tempo series of rhythms keeping the strong celestial rhythms along into the challenging, tight rhythms in the finale for another strong and utterly impressive effort. ‘Agliptian Codex Cyborgization’ offers blistering drumming and complex rhythms charging along through the utterly dynamic and furious riffing charging alongside the blasting, pummeling drumming keeping the intensity flowing into the frenzied, tight and complex patterns blasting into the final half for another over-the-top display of brutality. ‘The Singularitarianism’ fires off utterly pummeling, frenzied drumming alongside tight, complex grooves charging through the stuttering tempos with the blistering drumming blasting through into the celestial noise interlude finale for an effective if still devastating breather. ‘Eukaryotic Hex Swarm’ carries the main celestial noises through into the blasting drum-work alongside the celestial rhythms from the tight, complex drumming charging along into the thumping rhythms and challenging, complex patterns keeping the celestial vibe through the final half fadeout for a strong effort overall.
The second half keeps up the quality of the first half incredibly well. ‘Computronium Pulsar Nanarchy’ features thumping rhythms and tight drumming offering plenty of blistering drum-work with the celestial rhythms carrying the frenetic, blistering drum-patterns into the full-throttle series of complex rhythms charging alongside the frantic rhythms leading into the celestial noise fade-out finale for another strong highlight. ‘A-Life Omega Point’ features plenty of blistering full-throttle drumming alongside stuttering riff-work through challenging, complex patterns with tight drum-work keeping the stuttering rhythms holding alongside the furious thumping work alongside the ravenous thumping drumming holding the challenging rhythms on through the final half for stellar back-to-back highlights. ‘57889330816.1’ uses a deep, droning series of celestial noise and technologically-scrambled voices setting up the concept storyline as it segues into follow-up ‘Zeroth-Energy Graviton’ blistering through a series of blasting drumming and tight, complex grooves chugging along through complex rhythms and rather frantic patterns full of intense rhythms from the blasting drumming keeping the thumping riff-work along through the brutal blasting in the final half for another stand-out release. Finally, the epic closer ‘Molecular Winds’ takes ferocious riffing chugging alongside blasting drum-work with plenty of frantic patterns keeping the ferocious arrangements and challenging patterns through the tight drumming blasting alongside the churning riffing and rather pummeling celestial patterns working alongside the tight, choppy sections driving into the finale for an utterly pummeling lasting impression here.
This was just an overall blistering release containing nearly everything that a full-on fan of the band or brutal technical death metal will lap up instantly, not only making this one of the best albums in their already-stellar career but immediately earns it a top spot in the genre that will be hard to surpass.
