ALBUM REVIEW: Green Lung, "This Heathen Land"

 By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 03/11/2023

Label: Nuclear Blast

 
“This Heathen Land” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. Prologue
2. The Forest Church
3. Mountain Throne
4. Maxine
5. One for Sorrow
6. Song of the Stones
7. The Ancient Ways
8. Hunters in the Sky
9. Oceans of Time
 
The Review:
 
Green Lung are the best ‘new’ band in the UK today. This is their third album and takes in folklore, esoteric and occult albion (Britain) and so on. “Woodland Rites” was rough and ready with the artwork, the vibe and the songs in place. “Black Harvest” was nothing short of a modern classic; beefed up production, better arrangements and songs with vibe and artwork intact.
 
“This Heathen Land” is more developed and varied than the previous albums. It has the muscle of Nuclear Blast behind it- once again, the artwork is stellar (kind of a Wild Hunt pastiche), the production is superb and the songs, well….
 
A spoken word prologue sets the scene for a journey into a hidden, pagan, Britain. The first track proper, “The Forest Church”, should have you invested. If it doesn’t, please give the rest of the record a chance. The track takes in epic soloing, doom like pacing and some dynamic tempo shifts- plus a more prominent role for the keys. Having as they do the line-up of classic Deep Purple or Jethro Tull, it makes sense to make use of the keys to a larger extent.
 
The grooving tempo of “Mountain Throne” makes for an excellent and headbanging track, while advance track “Maxine (Witch Queen)” is just brilliant. Catchy, clever and full of hooks and ideas. Essentially, this is for fans of folk horror, films like The Wicker Man, Straw Dogs, Witchfinder General, A Field In England, The Devil Rides Out etc. It’s got that hard-to-define aspect that makes it somehow otherworldly- much like compatriots Pagan Altar.
 
The doom vibes are back for “One For Sorrow”- it’s slow and creepy, with a dose of melancholia woven into the grim portents. Reference points abound in terms of the band’s sound. This is not doom, per se, but the spectre of Sabbath looms. However, classic 70’s rock like Heep, Jethro Tull and Purple is also present- as is, in particular, Queen. Backing vocals, varied instrumentation, varied styles, well orchestrated guitar parts and hooky vocals. Yep, Brian et. al. would approve.
 
The band has expanded their sound- not just by the use of keyboards, either. “Song of the Stones” mixes folkloric ghost story telling with acoustic instrumentation and is much further from Sabbath and much closer to Tull at their ’77 peak or even Led Zeppelin at their most arcane. It’s fantastic and transportive. Crucially, this is also music played by younger people; these aren’t a load of middle aged old hands trying their luck at occult rock. It feels organic and authentic.
 
The UK, even the world, needs younger rock bands who are not yet into their 40s to keep the genre alive and thriving. Sabbath are done. Priest and Maiden are in various stages of their twilight, other large bands are now just embarrassing corporations or the core of the bands are dead and buried. Elsewhere on the album, Green Lung delve into the distant past and fictional horror with strong success. The band keep the vibe on point with a forty two minute playing time. It’s all here; Ley Lines, barrows, stone circles, paganism, sorrow, despair and hope.
 
Modern day Britain is becoming increasingly out of touch with its past (the good and interesting parts of it in particular) in favour of a culture of individualism, consumerism and distrust. Bands like Green Lung and albums like “This Heathen Land” place the listener firmly in a different time and a better place. While some of the material here may be a little more stately (“Ancient Ways”) and grand, there are also the headbanging thrills of “Hunters In The Sky”, so the album comes off as balanced and considered in its track list.
 
The record closes with a take on the vampire myth- “Oceans of Time”- referencing memorable dialogue from the early 90s film with Gary Oldman in the lead role. Again, it’s clever and effective and hugely enjoyable, with some Type O style production and arrangements. Green Lung haven’t put a foot wrong with this record and it may well be the one that puts them over the top from underground prospects to legitimate headliners. They deserve it, as having witnessed the band live at Desertfest I can confirm that they have that indefinable extra factor; charisma, mystery, x-factor- call it what you will. In short, this band is unique and this album is excellent. Treasure them both.
 
“This Heathen Land” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Sylosis, "A Sign of Things to Come"

 By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 08/09/2023
Label: Nuclear Blast
 

“A Sign Of Things To Come” track listing:
 
1. Deadwood
2. A Sign Of Things To Come
3. Pariahs
4. Poison For The Lost
5. Descent
6. Absent
7. Eye For An Eye
8. Judas
9. Thorns
10. A Godless Throne
 
The Review:

Sylosis follow up 2020’s excellent “Cycle of Suffering” with this; have the British metal icons forged forward effectively? I first listened to the band back in 2015 with “A Dormant Heart”; an album I still hold in very high regard. I felt at the time- and still do- that Sylosis had cracked a very difficult code. They are a modern sounding band with a forward-thinking sound that won’t alienate old-schoolers (such as myself).
 
The band, for those that don’t know, combine thrash, death/melo-death, metalcore, groove metal and more traditional metal into a very effective alloy fit for almost any type of metalhead. It pleases me that they have (and have always had) the weighty backing of Nuclear Blast, but it pains me to consider that if, IF ONLY, the band were American then they might well be on a much higher level than they are. The Reading, Berkshire, UK, crew are instead at a level above underground and cult- but not at the large theatre/arena level they deserve.
 
UK metal- and metal in general- needs bands that look forward as well as back and Sylosis fit that bill. As such, then, you’ll hear synths and layers of sound across the title track, along with hardcore infused vocals, clean singing and huge riffs. The playing and performances are on point right out of the gate; “Deadwood” is a very effective opener, distilling what the band do well into four and half minutes.
 
The album continues at a very high watermark; “Pariahs” is heavy as hell, grooves massively, and hits all the right spots for a pit to go insane to. The record sounds incredible; massive and thick, precise and streamlined. Once again, the band combine handily the best bits of Machine Head, Lamb of God, Pantera, Fear Factory and so on into their own sound.
Stand outs? I’d probably pick “Poison For The Lost” as a real high point; it thrashes extremely convincingly with real malice and spite injected into the vocals and playing. This is metal as it should be; fast, furious and laser-honed.
 
Incredibly, the band are six albums in here. The level of experience and confidence shows throughout. The band don’t put a foot wrong in terms of song writing, production or performance. Band main-man Josh Middleton has been at this for over two decades now and he is a master of his craft. The band even ring the changes with the track “Absent”; a kind of synth-scape ballad that gives way to a more metallic section. It’s cinematic and daring, showing what the band can do when they spread their wings. More typical service is resumed with “Eye For An Eye” as the band puts the pedal and metal to the, er, metal once again- but not forgetting their sense of melody throughout the song.
 
As noted on previous records, things are focused and lean throughout; ten songs only, nothing too bloated and most clocking the 3.5-4.5min playing time. The riffs of “Judas” have a kind of ‘doom but sped up’ feel and the dark vibe that it gives off is great. Naturally, speed also kills on this one. Great track.
 
“As Thorns” and then the epic closer “A Godless Throne” bring this excellent record to an end, I can’t help but ponder the state of the metal genre in 2023. The arena filling likes of Maiden and Metallica may be on the way out, but with bands like Sylosis around, the genre is not going away. The fact is, to many metallers younger than me THIS IS the sound of metal. Not Priest, Maiden, Sabbath et al, but instead bands like Sylosis who have cherry picked the best aspects of various metal sub genres and then come full circle to be defined as, simply, METAL. Yep, Sylosis are a METAL band- and they are the best modern metal band in the UK. Easily.  
 
“A Sign of Things to Come” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Overkill, "Scorched"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 14/04/2023
Label: Nuclear Blast

 
“Scorched” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. Scorched
2. Goin’ Home
3. The Surgeon
4. Twist of the Wick
5. Wicked Place
6. Won’t be Comin Back
7. Fever
8. Harder They Fall
9. Know Her Name
10. Bag o’ Bones
 
 
The Review:  
 
Well, Overkill return after their longest ever break between albums- “Wings of War” was 2019! It’s only the pandemic that has led to this situation, and I suspect that the band would have put this out in 2021 or 2022 if they had been able to tour it.
 
First things first: Colin Richardson has produced and mixed this along with Chris Clancy. It sounds incredible. The bass is percussive and aggressive with D.D Verni taking his rightful place in the mix, the drums are crystal clear and have depth along with attack- Jason Bittner is perfect for the band. The guitars are similarly in-your-face and precise. I realise that Bobby G is most fans choice of favourite Overkill guitarist, but I love the Linsk/Tailer axis even more.  On top of all that, of course, is Bobby Blitz Ellsworth’s instantly identifiable shriek.
 
Of course, if identifiable sounds and elements made for classic albums then the Rolling Stones and Metallica would be on a never ending winning streak of incredible records… Fortunately, this time around Overkill have focused and delivered the songs along with the sounds. With hindsight, I found “Wings of War” a little over-long and a little directionless in parts. The good songs were great, the album tracks were a little more blunt than usual. “The Grinding Wheel” suffered from a mid-album bloat with too many long songs.
 
“Scorched” delivers only one song over the six-minute mark and it is a welcome approach. Indeed, with the title track being up first and the longest song on offer, the band immediately announce that they are BACK. It’s a cracking and thrashy opener. “While Goin’ Home” may be the most accessible song here, it’s not one of my favourites as I am here for thrash- as I am on every Overkill record. “The Surgeon” delivers handily as does “Twist of the Wick”.
 
The band have time for a detour or two as well, such as “Wicked Place”- that delivers the Sabbathian lope that the band have perfected over the years (see also “Spiritual Void” and “Come Heavy”). It’s cool that Overkill continue to be OVERKILL at all times. The song writing is sharp and the band is as hungry as ever. Dave Linsk delivers some mighty lead work throughout and for a bunch of guys who are mostly in their 60s, well, it’s incredible that they still sound like this and that they are still making music with this fire and quality.
 
It's not all flawless; there are a couple of Overkill-by-numbers tracks; “Won’t Be Comin’ Back” is fine, but no better than that and leans a little too hard on melody- it’s an average Overkill album track, redeemed partially by the solo section. The albums most left-field track is “Fever”. It is a slow burning, moody quasi-ballad. This is the type of Overkill song that I have never really cared for and don’t buy the albums for. I didn’t rate “Bitter Pill” on “White Devil Armory”, I don’t like “Shades of Grey” on “I Hear Black...” the list goes on. On the plus side, it has some unexpected percussion, quiet and loud dynamics and isn’t a bad song per se. It’s just not what I want from an Overkill track. I’d probably rather have a throwaway thrasher than a well-crafted moody song like this one. My loss, I suppose.
 
Fortunately, “Harder They Fall” redeems the band instantly with a straight ahead rager- fast and furious with plenty of machismo as is expected from the title. Simply put, it is this type of song I’m looking for from the band. Not that they owe me anything at all when they are 20 (!) albums deep into their 43-year career. The chugging riff of “Know Her Name” is also welcome and feels like an old friend. Indeed, between this and the (surprisingly funky and groovey) closing “Bag O’ Bones”, the band don’t put a foot wrong and finish the album in fine style.
 
Overkill began an incredible run of albums with “Ironbound” in 2010. For me, that one remains their peak (of any era) but “Electric Age” was almost as good. “White Devil Armory”, “The Grind Wheel” and “Wings of War” are all good records- with perhaps a tendency for the quality to drop just a little with each album in release date order. “Scorched” reverses that slight downward trend and brings them back up a notch.
 
Another year, another great Overkill album. Enjoy them while they are still here as sooner or later- much like Motorhead- they simply won’t be around anymore. This is recommended to all fans of the band, all thrash fans and is as fine a starting point as any for anyone who wonders what the band are all about.
 
“Scorched” is available now

Band info: Bandcamp || Facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Venom Inc., "There's Only Black"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 23/09/2022
Label: Nuclear Blast

 
“There's Only Black” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. How Many Can Die
2. Infinitum
3. Come To Me
4. There's Only Black
5. Tyrant
6. Don't Feed Me Your Lies
7. Man As God
8. Burn Liar Burn
9. Nine
10. Rampant
11. The Dance
12. Inferno
 
The Review:

Venom Inc. return after a five-year gap following the rather good “Ave” from 2017. A few things have changed since then; Mantas has survived serious heart problems and is now back to match fitness, Abaddon has departed the fold and been replaced by American Jeramie Kling while Tony ‘Demolition Man’ Dolan remains at the helm, as steadfast as ever.
 
“Ave” was a good album, but there were a few issues; the rather machine like (!) quality of the drums and a few stylistic detours meant that it was strong rather than an out and out classic. This time around, though, the band goes all out. No industrial inflections, no moody aesthetics- unless that mood is anger, of course.
 
“There's Only Black” is out and out grimy anger- Motorhead on steroids with Marshall stacks fired up to the limit, drums pounded close to breaking point and Dolan’s vocals as vital and gritty as ever. The guitar work is fantastic throughout- the lead breaks in “Infinitum” are testimony to this, the fast and furious riffing of “How Many Can Die” sets the tempo and tone. This sounds like a band playing live, effectively- with a nice natural sound to all the instruments and no fancy production sheen. It’s raw, it’s loud, it’s full of bite.
 
The heavy hits keep coming; “Come To Me”, the title track- they just steamroll the listener. There is some light and shade to be found; “Tyrant” has guitar work that is Maiden-esque in places and it offers a surprising line in melodic playing that is by no means out of place. Indeed, it is complementary to the other tracks on offer here.
 
As the record progresses, it’s clear what the band went for: balls out speed and aggression. It works so well because THIS is what we want from Venom Inc. Nobody listens to “Welcome to Hell” for subtlety. No metalhead ever played “Black Metal” or “Prime Evil” expecting pastoral soundscapes. Nope: we want the sound of the gates of hell being opened. We want to feel like we are in league with Satan and are quite prepared to lay down our souls for it.
 
Over the course of twelve tracks, the record is remorseless in its violence, relentless in its aggression. You can play any track; “Man As God”, “Inferno”, “Rampant…” literally any other track and you know what band this is. It’s a life affirming, gritty, leather encased blast of proper metal. Even “Burn Liar Burn” puts the pedal to the metal after lulling the listener into a false sense of security. By the time “Inferno” closes things out with the bludgeoning power of a bulldozer you’ll have been thoroughly convinced and thoroughly beaten down by the metallic power conjured up here.
 
Venom Inc. have become what they always were live and what they were often on record previously- they are just that all of the time here. This is highly recommended and it’s hard to imagine how this could be bettered by any version of Venom, past or present.
 
“There's Only Black” is available HERE 

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Kreator, "Violent Revolution" (Reissue)

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length (Reissue)
Date Released: 21/01/2022
Label:  Nuclear Blast

 
“Violent Revolution” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
01. Reconquering The Throne
02. The Patriarch
03. Violent Revolution
04. All Of The Same Blood
05. Servant In Heaven - King In Hell
06. Second Awakening
07. Ghetto War
08. Replicas Of Life
09. Slave Machinery
10. Bitter Sweet Revenge
11. Mind Of Fire
12. System Decay
 
The Review:
 
Kreator are de facto my favourite German thrash band and, as has often been said, are the only thrash band from any nation in the mid 80s who made a record which rivals “Reign In Blood” for sheer violence and intensity. Of course, there is much more to the band's catalogue than just “Pleasure To Kill”.
 
While this album is not in the classic run which featured the aforementioned, “Endless Pain”, “Extreme Aggression” and “Terrible Certainty” (not in that order!) it is the first of Kreator's modern era purple patch which has run from this record through to “Phantom Antichrist” and “Gods of Violence”. After a somewhat shaky 1990s, the band really did roar back with this record. Kreator, to their credit, never went away but they had drifted from their core sound and simply did not maintain much of a presence when thrash found itself out of favour with the press.
 
I'm aware that the reissue features bonus tracks, but as I have only the album here... that is what I'll focus on. It's a fairly raging album. The band meld their socially conscious and socially liberal political leanings with righteous rage. Incredibly, this record is now over 20 years old and still sounds vital and relentlessly heavy.
 
Opening with “Reconquering The Throne” is a vicious mission statement; it really did reassert their thrash credentials at the time and listening to it now, it's no less potent. From there, the material is as weighty as it is well delivered. The production is pretty great; it's not like 2001 was 1971, but even so I was surprised, revisiting this, how clear and powerful the sound is. The drums in particular really benefit from the crystal clear mix and it sounds, well, just really good.
 
Pleasingly, it is also fairly relentless. There are no real detours into melodic territory which have featured more often in later records and instead this is just a pretty straight ahead thrash record, played and delivered expertly. It's a far cry from the endearingly inept “Endless Pain” but not quite as polished as “Gods of Violence”. In short, it is thrash metal with no surprises other than (un)pleasant familiarity.
 
While more mid paced material is not as interesting as the ragers here (“Servant in Heaven”), they are still engaging and nasty enough to be worthy of the band and the record. Strangely, “Violent Revolution” has never been an album from their discography I've played that much. I've usually gone for “Hordes of Chaos” or “Phantom Antichrist” as a go-to from the band's latter period... but I'm now wondering why I overlooked this.
 
As reissues go, this is well worth shelling out some cash for if you missed it first time around or if you never paid it much attention. The band keep the pedal to the metal right through to “Bitter Sweet Revenge” and “Mind of Fire” and the eleven tracks are all at least good- no clunkers. Negatives? Well, about the worst thing I can say is that a couple of tracks are a little long- but this is small beer really. The songs are pretty focused overall and certainly are fiery enough to power through on attitude and commitment even at the longer song running times.
 
“Violent Revolution” is available HERE 

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Hypocrisy, "Worship"

 By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 26/11/2021
Label: Nuclear Blast

 

“Worship” CD//DD//LP track listing:

 
1.Worship
2.Chemical Whore
3.Greedy Bastards
4.Dead World
5.We’re The Walking Dead
6.Brotherhood Of The Serpent
7.Children Of The Gray
8.Another Day
9.They Will Arrive
10.Bug In The Net
11.Gods Of The Underground
 

The Review:
 
Hypocrisy return, quite a few years after the very good “End of Disclosure” album. This deathly group of Swedes are still ploughing their extra-terrestrial-themed furrow and have managed to carve out and keep their own identity over thirty years of hard work. The early days of “Penetralia” may be several decades ago, but it is clear that the band are still pushing forward and are as enthusiastic about death metal as they have ever been.
 
Other bands may have come and gone, but it really does seem to be the death metal bands that hit on a theme that have managed to survive. Countrymen Entombed and Dismember may be the first names in Swedeath for most fans, but Hypocrisy have a sound, longevity and theme all their own. The same could also be said of the American bands Deicide and Cannibal Corpse too? There are two bands who picked a topic and stayed with it.

Therefore, with Hypocrisy, you know what you are getting in terms of theme and delivery. It's a ready made recipe for success with fans, essentially. So, has “Worship” deviated from the expected? Thankfully: no.
 
The artwork tells you what the band are going to give the expectant hordes. As soon as the title track kicks in proper, you know what you are in for. Yes; death metal. Fast, well produced but also not without that important raw factor that makes the best bands stand out. This is a weightier proposition than “End of Disclosure” to my ears but it still maintains the somewhat dreamy edge to some of the music.

 
Pleasingly, the band have not drifted down an endlessly blasting rabbit hole and have delivered a varied set of songs; “Greedy Bastards” is a mid paced and riffy proposition that is anthemic as well as being hallmarked with death metal tropes in terms of the vocals and riffing. Of course, there are speedier tracks and sections but the band use dynamics better than most in the genre and thus are strangely accessible with their stop/start riffs and song writing nous.
 
The band deliver deathly doom on “We're The Walking Dead” and play a similar trick with “Brotherhood of the Serpent”- just upping the tempo and guitar work enough to ensure that the mid part of the album doesn't stagnate under slower tempos. I would have liked a few more tracks like “Another Day”- a thrashy rager- but overall the album is heavy; without ever really being 'extreme' in the way that a lot of the US bands are.
 

Across eleven tracks, the vast majority clock in between four and five minutes and if this suggests that the band have a formula for writing, this is not really accurate. There is a lot of variation here and for every track about alien invasion or government corruption/conspiracy (“They Will Arrive”, “Bug In The Net”) there are differing tempos and styles to compensate for the familiar and homogenous subject matter.
 
For me, the strongest tracks are perhaps the opening title track and the closing “Gods of The Underground”. The latter is a kind of summation of what the band do well; themes, style and approach all coalesce into a convincing closing statement.
 
Whether this will convert any new fans to the band, I have no idea. They've been around for so long that most death metal fans must have heard them at some point, but as they have their own niche, I suppose they must pick up new converts. There's every reason for that to happen with this album as it is rock solid and another worthy entry into Hypocrisy's extensive and consistent discography.

 
 
“Worship” is available HERE

Band info: Official

ALBUM REVIEW: Exodus, “Persona Non Grata"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 19/11/2021
Label: Nuclear Blast

“Persona Non Grata” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
 1. Persona Non Grata
 2. R.E.M.F.
 3. Slipping Into Madness
 4. Elitist
 5. Prescribing Horror
 6. The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
 7. The Years Of Death And Dying
 8. Clickbait
09. Cosa Del Pantano
10. Lunatic-Liar-Lord
11. The Fires Of Division
12. Antiseed
 
 
The Review
 
Exodus are back. Gary Holt is back in the fold full time and the rest of the band are present- with Steve “Zetro” Souza still at the mic. Tom Hunting laid down his drum parts before his battle with cancer (get well soon) while Lee Altus and Jack Gibson round out the line-up.
 
I've never made a secret of the fat that I favour Rob Dukes as THE Exodus front man, but no one (including me) can deny that “Zetro” has a fine voice for thrash and is viewed by most as the definitive Exodus vocalist. “Blood in Blood Out” was a fine reunion record, but a little front loaded and missing some of the spite of the Dukes years. 
 
“Persona Non Grata” comes after several years of Holt moonlighting with Slayer and a global pandemic. You'd expect, then, that the creative juices would be well and truly flowing as the band members focus on Exodus (and Heathen) full time.
 
The title track is up first and is a speedy thrasher- but it is too long. Much like some of the Dukes era material, it needed editing. It's vicious and speedy but it does, well, go on... “R.E.M.F” and “Slipping Into Madness” are more concise and thus more effective, with the latter being a convincing addiction tale that you can't help feel might be hitting close to home for a few or all of those playing it.
 
Exodus slow things down occasionally, too. “Prescribing Horror” is an example- and an effective one.  The advance track “The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)” is simply vintage Exodus; a short, sharp cut that is made for the pit. It's magnificent, prescient in theme and has everything great about the band in three minutes.
 
As the album progresses, it takes shape. This is similar in approach to “Blood In, Blood Out”. It's occasionally speedy, always aggressive but its bark is a little stronger than its bite on some tracks. There is a lot of fairly mid-paced material over the course of the hour long playing time which is not something that the band necessarily excel at. Much like Iron Maiden, Metallica and some of the other classic thrash acts (even my beloved Overkill): editing is needed. Some tracks could say what they have to say in less playing time and also there is nothing wrong with delivering the best ten tracks rather than stretching material a little thin over twelve tracks.
 
It's churlish, but sometimes less music really is better than more. Exodus are better on razor sharp songs like “Clickbait” than they are on the blunt force of “The Years of Death and Dying”. It makes the album a little frustrating as my attention wandered a little from track to track- even if the production, lead work and performances are all great. There is a cool instrumental in the form of “Cosa Del Pantano” and it is a welcome detour into a different sonic sphere prior to the lengthy but effective “Lunatic Liar Lord”- which is as heavy as lead  and benefits from the thrashy pacing- and classic Exodus time changes. It's an example of the band doing an epic thrash track well but it loses momentum through the middle and outro sections.
 
“Persona Non Grata” is available HERE
  

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Go Ahead And Die, "Go Ahead and Die"

 By: Peter Morsellino
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 11/06/2021
Label: Nuclear Blast

 
“Go Ahead and Die” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. Truckload Full Of Bodies
2. Toxic Freedom
3. I.C.E. Cage
4. Isolated/Desolated
5. Prophet’s Prey
6. Punisher
7. El Cuco
8. G.A.A.D.
9. Worth Less Than Piss
10. (In The) Slaughterline
11. Roadkill
 
The Review:
 
Aggressive and powerful, Go Ahead And Die strikes out to create something of its own in the face of expectations.  The illustrious history of the band’s father-son duo of Max and Igor-Amadeaus Cavalera will surely pique the interest in fans hearing of the band for the first time and color the expectations of listeners awaiting their first taste of the beast.  
 
The Self-Titled album features a viciously heavy blend of Death Metal and Thrash that is sure to delight fans of early Death Metal pioneers.  The album does have a distinctly modern feel to it though, proving itself as more than a mere tribute act to the sound that came before it. 
 
Igor cements himself here as a force to be reckoned with, taking center stage at various points of the album.  There will be detractors claiming this to be a novelty project of Cavalera senior, but upon first listen, there is no doubt that Go Ahead And Die is the real deal.  With the blistering speeds and memorable grooves present, this is one that can be listened to repeatedly.
 
I would be hard pressed to say that new ground is being broken here, but what is presented is just about as solid as it comes.  I would highly recommend it to any fan of old school death metal and the heavier reaches of thrash.  If nothing else, give this one a listen and quell your curiosity.  I do not think you’ll regret it.  
 
“Go Ahead and Die” is available HERE

Band info: facebook