Ep review : Annihilation Process (2010) – Violator

ep : Annihilation Process

artist : Violator

genre : Thrash Metal

year : 2010

Brazil has been the hub of thrash metal ever since the time there was a need for bands to play more of this genre. Trust me if you have not experienced Brazilian thrash, and it is not just Sepultura I am talking about, then you have not lived enough thrash. Violator is just one of them and they debuted in 2002. Representative of a new era of thrash, Violator picked themes that have always been pets of the genre. Collaborating for a lot of split releases they have had just one full-length before. Annihilation Process is their second Ep.

Riffing on the seven tracks of the Ep is furious and the band should get for being so brutally honest to thrash metal. The vocals aren’t tampered, the speed hasn’t been compromised on, the solos are nasty and the bass lines are thumping. Even the Executor cover You’ll Come Back Before Dying does complete justice to the original version. It is the old school quality of Violator that makes it difficult to avoid the band. Not that there is a need to.

From what I remember I fell for this band even before I heard any of their songs back then, as their logo was effective enough.  With this Ep the only issue I have is that there are seven tracks and that is a little too much for an Ep. Musically the record has everything that I wanted from them, now only they can tell me what could be better.

Rating : 4/5

album review : Scenes From Hell (2010) – Sigh

album : Scenes From Hell

artist : Sigh

genre : Post-Black/Avant-Garde Metal

year : 2010

Taking several steps towards improvement, Japanese metal band Sigh with a gorgeous female vocalist have puked out their best stuff. They have stretched themselves and their eight release Scenes from Hell says all of this for itself. The band is able to convey the idea of post-black and avant-garde metal through these eight tracks without being comparable to anything else heard before – whether it is their own stuff or someone else’s.

The album has a peculiar sound to it that is creepy along with being heavily metal. Although today the best of recording and best of production can be obtained at a price, Sigh has made sure they use the money to produce an album in a raw manner and get a sound of their own. Doing this is like getting done with half the job. After various mood swings that they have demonstrated on their discography it can be safely said that they can and will do even better.

Right from the time Scenes from Hell begins playing you find yourself in a black metal carnival and the saxophone plays a crucial role in taking you there. An even greater reason to heave a sigh of relief is Dr. Mikannibal‘s presence at the carnival. Go for it.

Rating : 3.5/5

album review : Let the Devil In (2010) – Sargeist

album : Let the Devil In

artist : Sargeist

genre : Black Metal

year : 2010

Opening new avenues in the listener’s head and conquering new heights for themselves is Scandinavian black metal band Sargeist. This is the first Sargeist album I have heard and it is the third release for the band. What makes this release special is the fact that they have combined together most of the elements and moods that I have been searching for in a black metal album. At the very instant Let the Devil In began playing there was nothing else I was interested in.

All of the ten tracks are loaded with darkness, and it is not at all in the vein of the usual stuff around. The album is a world in itself and I started picking my favorite tracks on the album right from the first track Empire of Suffering. With members from Horna and Behexen which are terrific bands themselves, Sargeist does make a point that musicians from various tights acts can come together and create magic. But it is observed that more than often this is not the case.

Losing grip over my own self and surrendering to the darkness they have managed to produce on Let the Devil In, this is just the kind of music that can fittingly be the background score for my life. The album has a cover that I cannot stop praising Sargeist for. Without any doubt I’d be checking out their other two releases too and as for Let the Devil In it just sets me free.

Rating : 4.5/5