SPINECRUSHER - Hellthrash
FORMAT: MCD REALEASE DATE: 23.03.2013 RECORD COMPANY: Autoprodus 6.0
METALFAN RATING: 8.5
USERS RATING: 5 votes
Top 2013: #196 |
Spinecrusher LINE UP: Bony - voce Daniel Gheorghiu - chitara, voce Stefan Pascu - chitara Radu Tudor Nastase - bas Matei Gheorghe - tobe |
TRACKLIST: 01. Bringer of Souls02. Incantation of the Cursed One03. 666 |
I have known about Spinecrusher long before they had their first shown. A few years have passed since then, the boys have shared the stage with many bands of the metal underground scene, among the most important names I should mention Onslaught, Necrodeath, Altar and Krow. In the meantime there’s been a change in the line-up (the only one, in fact), as vocal Andrei Radulescu (Violesson) left the band. The guys held their ground and quickly recruited Bony, former vocal of Snapjaw. Almost five years after they formed, Spinecrusher have managed to release their first official record. Most praise for this must go to Romanian Thrash Metal Club and Traian Popescu, who supported the band in this effort. I felt that these clarifications are needed because many of those who read these lines are not familiar with the name Spinecrusher.
Daniel-Andrei Gheorghiu, guitarist and leader of the band, stated on 30 March 2013 exclusively for Metalfan Romania: "Hellthrash is the first official Spinecrusher release. It contains the songs Bringer of Souls, Incantation of the Cursed One and 666. Together they form a story about life, death, afterlife and return to life. The character goes from the attempt to regain his old life to a pact with the gods of darkness and then returns to the Earth as leader of the legions of Hell."
I must applaud the band’s initiative to come up with a conceptual material, despite their rather abrasive style. So, what are this record’s pluses? The first, as I said: concept. The second is the professional graphical presentation, and the third is the rather unique approach (for Romania) of Spinecrusher’s style. A healthy and deep thrash/death metal, perhaps leaning more towards thrash metal after Bony joined the band.
What’s less good? Mixing and mastering! I understand: they’re expensive, resources are limited and many band run into the money barrier, but your release is your calling card. And the first impression counts a lot. At some points guitar is drowning the other instruments, even the vocals. The best example is the first song - Bringer of Souls. Pretty good song writing, if a bit repetitive (and I’m not saying it in a positive way). On Incantation of the Cursed One, the second track, things are looking a bit better. It reminds me of the legendary Swedish band Morbid and their demo December Moon (1987), the Swedish deathrash of those years... plus... Snapjaw! A little more cohesion and unity between band members. It can be done, it just needs patience. The record ends with 666, its harshest song, fast, energetic, with some interesting drum work and a pretty good solo, unfortunately choked by bad mixing. Listening to Hellthrash one eye is crying and the other’s laughing. I appreciate the effort they put into this material, their energy, but I cannot overlook the rather poor conditions of its presentation most of the time. Probably with more attention and a producer, the next release will sound better. For the time being, it is good that they released this, even in this form. It is important because the band’s five years of work finally gave birth to a record. A first chapter is ended, and the next ones will probably be better.
H. Nota: 6
|
Comment on: Hellthrash