Eliminator-The One They Were Waiting For

Obskure Sombre Records
2011


According to the fine folks over at Encyclopedia Metallum there are currently five bands using the name Eliminator with the majority of them playing thrash metal. I personally would have thought there would be more than just five bands to be using that name. It seems somewhere in the back of my mind (hidden away in all those cobwebs) that there use to be scores of unsigned bands using that name. Maybe though it isn't as common as perceived. So with that what gives New Jersey's Eliminator a chance of sticking out? Sure, the band has recently made a bit of a name for itself thanks in no small part to their excellent covers of Slayer's "Angel of Death" and "Altar of Sacrifice/Jesus Saves". Those two songs have been making the rounds online lately and have opened doors for the band. That said cover songs are one thing though and covering Slayer of all bands will certainly win you brownie points any day. Can you stand on your own merits though? Formed in 2006 the Eliminator in question is made up of Warchild - Vocals, Guitar (Mutiny Within) and Samus (Sam Paulicelli) - Drums (Norwegian Birthday Cake, Mutiny Within, Suspyre, Abysmal Gates, Dark Empire (USA), Rising Phoenix, Abigail Williams). Following a pair of well received demos (both released in 2007) Eliminator released their debut album in 2008. "Breaking the Wheel" was meet with mostly positive reviews and now we come to this current album to see what's what. Those two previously mentioned Slayer tunes seemed fitting after listening to opener "Atish". Best described as a extreme blackened Slayer "Atish" left me satisfied about the perceived direction this album would take. After the follow-up spoken word "Calm Before the Storm" I fully expected to have my eardrums assaulted. From everything I had heard about these guys sick and twisted thrash was what I expected and so I figured the rest of the album would follow suite. Boy would I ever be proven wrong! My jaw just about hit the floor when the number "Me and the Devil Blues" came rocking in. Blues thrash? Somewhere between BB King, Danzig and crusty black metal this song resides and man what a place that must be! "The Man In The Picture...To Become What One Is" is progressive tinged metal with moments that recalls Master Of Puppets era Metallica before shifting into extreme death metal. "Answers Left Behind" is another spoken word piece and what follows is a highlight in "Honey Sacrifice". This genre blending number is both technical and riveting. When Eliminator lets loose things really click. As a blackened thrash/experimental metal band these New Jersey headbangers know how to write music that hits all the right notes. Another spoken word piece breaks the album up with "He Who Laughs Best Today" before "Goodness Is Dead...Enter The Black Hole, Fucker!" rolls out. Over the sounds of German inspired thrash (Kreator/Destruction) the band lays some S.O.D./M.O.D./Gwar humor. Mostly the song seems like an excuse to just thrash out and as such it works. The last cut on the album features a beautiful violin piece. "R.I.P" is an unusual way to end things but by now it should be fairly obvious that this Eliminator is anything but your usual everyday thrash band. Mixing it bits of Slayer, Danzig, Volbeat, German thrash and hardened black metal Eliminator has unleashed an album sure to turn heads. If variety is the spice of life and death for you then be sure to invest yourself emotionally in this act. Not just another 9-5 thrash band here. Simply put there is so much more going on here and it would be a shame if more people didn't hear this. Now more than ever I am curious about Eliminator's back catalog and will have to spend some time checking it out. Be sure that you yourself check out "The One They Were Waiting For" though. With the mounds of thrash bands that all sound alike when a band does come along and breaks out of those shackles it can easily get lost in the shuffle if someone doesn't point it out. Consider this your personal invitation then to check out a different shade of heavy metal.