Killing – Face the Madness
Band: Killing
Title: Face the Madness
Label: Mighty Music
Release date: 13 August 2021
Country: Denmark
Format reviewed: High-quality Digital Recording
Killing is a band that was totally unknown by me until I sat in front of my laptop, opened the files and pressed the “play” button, only because I saw that cool cover art and wanted to know about the music behind it (kind of a “priest” holding a baby by one foot upside down, about to kill him with a bloody axe, and in the background some kind of cross made with war, death and Metal images… that was enough for me to light my curiosity). That artwork is made by Mario López from Guatemala, he has also done a lot of other great cover arts for the metal scene.
Well, returning to the music in the album; it starts really well! “Kill Everyone” is fast and heavy, a slap in your face, or better I should say “a lash in your face”, ‘cause that’s exactly what it is: 2 minutes track of pure old-school Thrash, including sick riffs, vocals full of rage and aggressiveness, nice screams and a short but really good guitar solo. All what you need to get trapped into this 40 minutes back-to-the-golden-age-of-thrash journey.
“Don’t Get Mad, Get Evil” is a pure Thrash anthem, distilling classic sound from the beginning and becoming like an earworm after a few listens. I found myself singing along that catchy phrase and headbanging like a possessed!
This album offers a lot of wild and primitive riffs, with a raw and classic sound, well accompanied by powerful drums and a bass that is clearly heard in every track, and this is something really good always. I like the way the vocalist manages to rip his throat with those screams, really high pitched at some points. And, talking about riffs… just listen to the infectious one that’s played at the beginning of “1942”, damn! It is repeated a few more times along the track, and it’s like a fast and furious strike to any Thrash addict… Like saying, “here it is, now you have what you wanted”. Thank you guys!
The last track, “Killed in Action”, is the longest one (almost 7 minutes) and the most varied theme, slowing down the tempo a bit, but yet it is a song full of strength, and it’s wrapped with an extra layer of emotion, if I can say this. At least that’s what I feel listening to it. When the end is near, there’s an “iconic” section, with that guitar drawing a fantastic melody being accompanied by the mid-paced drums until a savage scream tears up the magic moment; and after two more minutes, the song and the album comes up to the end.
Do you want a good trip back to the golden age of Thrash? So this is an album for you. I give it 7,5/10 Sílvia
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7,5/10 Victory is possible
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