The Resistance-Scars

Armoury Records
2013

I really enjoyed the blitzkrieg metal assault that was "Risen From Treason" (link below to that review).  Now The Resistance is back with the follow-up to that hardcore/thrash-infused EP. The only issue I had with the groups last last EP was it's short length. For a debut-release "Risen From Treason" was too much of a teaser. "Scars", with it's 12-tracks of punch you in the face metal, doesn't have that problem at all. Thankfully the sonic assault is longer and, dare I say, much more intense! Vocalist Marco Aro (ex-The Haunted, Facedown) leads this motley bunch of metal misfits into battle and from the word go (or in this case "fire in the hole!") it's nothing but one brutalizing track after another. Good clean, brutalizing metallic fun. Founded by former In Flames’ founder, main songwriter and guitarist Jesper Strömblad in 2011 the band also includes guitarist Glenn Ljungström (ex-In Flames), and drummer Chris Barkensjö (ex-Kaamos, ex-Repugnant). The unholy racket that comes thrashing out of these Scandinavia’s instruments is technically skilled in nature, but it's played in such a fast and furious fashion that it makes your ears bleed! While the band's EP had me thinking more along the lines of hardcore/thrash this new album cranks things up a hundred times over into a hardcore/thrash/death fusion that is seriously insane, sick and down-right twisted! Imagine old-school Swedish death metal bands like Entombed, Grave and Dismember getting sonically raped by Pantera and Slayer. However this all takes place in an alternative universe/time-line where Slayer's greatest influence was a more straight-faced and angry S.O.D. Yeah, "Scars" is a nasty little album folks. It's intense, dark and angry from the opening moments of "Clearing the Slate" until it closes with "(I Will) Die Alone" (something I fear could be my theme song). It's close to 40 minutes of beat-down, thrash your ass off,  over the top death metal from seasoned professionals. One can only dare to imagine the impact (or more likely chaos!) The Resistance will have when they play material from "Scars" live. No doubt there will be bloodshed and mayhem in the pits. Sounds like a good time to me! This LP is highly recommended for those looking for the musically equivalent of metallic anarchy!

https://www.facebook.com/theresistanceswe

http://www.eaglerockent.com/

http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Resistance-Rise+From+Treason