hell bent-EP

Self-Release/Independent
2018

Formed in 2015 and comprised of current & former members of Dropdead, Ulcer, Paindriver, Straight to Hell, Neon Bitches, and Hard Drug, hell bent is a thrash metal/(hardcore-tinged) crossover band from Providence, Rhode Island. The self-explanatory "EP" is the latest release from this (d-beat-infused) fierce as fuck outfit. It is a six-song EP that clocks in at just under thirteen minutes. Other than perhaps the EP's length*, hell bent's new recording is fault free from start to finish! With it's old school-street metal & (hardcore-tinged) crossover meets underground thrash metal, "EP" is a great introduction to this tough as nails group. In addition to being a digital release, "EP" is available to purchase on cassette tape. That's rather fitting and all seeing as this EP has the feel of a underground gem from the heyday of tape-trading! If gritty and raw street-legit thrash metal/crossover/hardcore is your bread and butter, hell bent is bound to be your jam!


*As good as these guys are, hell bent's debut should have been a full-length LP!

Damn Youth-Breathing Insanity

Cospe Fogo Produções
2018

Damn Youth is a raw thrash/crossover band from Caucaia, Ceará, Brazil that has been in existence since 2013. Fronted by Elton Luiz, Damn Youth made it's debut in 2015 with the 3-track demo "Skate in Hell". In 2016 the band released a split with Lei do Cão and the 3-track EP, "No Mercy to Nazi Sympathy". Both the split and the EP came out on cassette tape. In addition they both featured cover songs. The split saw the group cover a track by Vio-Lence while "No Mercy to Nazi Sympathy" features a cover of "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" (Dead Kennedys). In a very real way both of those bands (Vio-Lence and The Dead Kennedys) show up to play on Damn Youth's latest recording. Released on January 9th, "Breathing Insanity" might not feature any cover tunes, but the influence of vintage thrash and old school punk/hardcore runs wild on this full-length album! Available as a (name your price) digital download by clicking here, "Breathing Insanity" is what you get when you take the crazier side of the thrash metal movement (Vio-Lence, Forbidden, Exodus, Toxic Holocaust, Slayer, etc.) and mix it with crossover (D.R.I., C.O.C., Suicidal Tendencies, Cro-Mags), punk/hardcore (the aforementioned Dead Kennedys, The Exploited, Discharge, etc.), street metal (Zoetrope), and rough & real garage metal. With 13 wickedly fun tracks in all, "Breathing Insanity" has a great underground vibe going for it (even if one cannot ignore the exceptional skills of these mad musicians!). At the end of the day it is an absolute steal as a name your own price download. That said, Damn Youth might be onto something by offering it for next to nothing. If it helps spread the word about this Brazilian band then it will all be worth it. For now, why not jump aboard this bandwagon while it's still within sight?

Madkill-Mass Destruction

Self-Release/Independent
2016

Madkill is a Brazilian thrash metal band that was initially formed in mid-2010 by guitarist and vocalist Natanael "Natan" Alves. The 5-track "Mass Destruction" is this band's only studio release to date and from what I'm been able to gather it was recorded in studio K9 with a line-up of Natan Alves (guitar/vox), Felipe Gabriel (bass) and Jhonatan Rozante (drums). As of 2016 Madkill's current drummer is Clayton Moreira and he joins Natan Alves (guitar/vox) and Felipe Gabriel (bass) in the pursuit of greatness....or at very least potential new gigs! Whatever the case might be, "Mass Destruction" (which was initially put out in 2014 and is making the rounds once more!) is a whole lot more than it initially appears to be thus making it a "interesting" release from this São Paulo-based that is said to be influenced by the eighties metal scene. The EP opens "innocently" enough with "Run to the War" which is a (rough & raw) slab of primitive thrash metal. The next cut, "Freedom and Peace", follows a similar path (even if it does feature some short but tasty speed metal licks about half way in!) and from the way in which it makes it's initial entrance so does this EP's third track,"Guardian of the Sanctity". The thing is once I pulled back the curtain on "Guardian of the Sanctity" I discovered the naked truth of Madkill's music. On it's surface "Mass Destruction" might just look and sound like a typical thrash metal recording, but just like a perfectly-constructed house it's the foundation that really matters. For Madkill that foundation is garage rock/heavy metal. And it's a solid foundation. Add to that the occasional sing-speak nature of guitarist Natan Alves and you've got a thrash metal EP with a garage rock/metal base and a pleasant punk rock aftertaste! While it seems a stretch to think that a Madkill full-length album will suddenly appear anytime soon at least there is this 20 plus minute EP to keep us rockin' and rolling!