Review Summary: A blackened thrash assault of epic proportions.
This is my first review, so be nice. But constructive criticism is welcome!
Prepare for an aural assault of epic proportions! Blood Tsunami's debut album Thrash Metal is pure blackened thrash metal of fantastic quality, similar to Witchaven. This album is a blistering barrage of shredding, black metal shrieks, and fast paced drumming. This album is a treat for any extreme metal fan.
The album starts off with Evil Unleashed, showcasing what makes Blood Tsunami so excellent. Filled with great fast paced guitar riffs and pounding drumming, this track shows you exactly what your in for the rest of the album. Unfortunately, this song also showcases what I think is Blood Tsunami's greatest weakness. The lyrics. They seem to be ripped off from almost any black metal band. In fact, Evil Unleashed and Infernal Final Carnage have almost the same chorus, both of them shouting "Kill" multiple times. Really guys, is that the best you can come up with?
Fortunately, the lyrics do not distract too much, and the first track is a fantastic headbanger that leads up into the next song, Let Blood Rain. This song has much of what made the first track so great, except this time the bass is far more audible. Which is a good thing, for the deep rumble of the bass really helps the atmosphere of the album, but on the downside, don't expect anything extremely complicated from the bassist, for he mostly plays just simple backing bass parts.
The next track, Rampage of Revenge, is one of the best off the album, for Blood Tsunami manages to throw some melody in with their uncompromising blackened thrash, and it turns out well. The thrash is still brutal and uncompromising, but the small touch of melody manages to make the track memorable, and the chorus WILL get stuck in your head for being so damn catchy for blackened thrash. They also manage to slow down their insane tempo for a few moments, and that riff will end up getting stuck in your head. This particular riff reminds me vaguely of Mastodon, but it doesn’t feel out of place.
The next track, Infernal Final Carnage, is one of the more basic tracks off the album. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t particularly excellent. It doesn’t feel like filler, because some of the riffs are great, but the song as a whole isn’t particularly impressive. It is slower and has more melody, which worked well in Rampage of Revenge, but it doesn’t really work here. The lyric problem also rears its ugly head here, for the lyrics are almost identical to the first track. However, the last two minutes are great, the first three just, not so much. The last two minutes are what the rest of the song should have been, melodic and full of energy. Everything they were trying to do on the rest of the song comes together at the end, and I almost wish they could have just done the last two minutes.
After Infernal Final Carnage’s final two minutes, I was hoping the next song would build on them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. Devoured By Flames isn’t bad, but it’s not good. It is just one of the average skippable tracks that could have been removed from the album and no one would particularly miss it.
Torn Apart ends the small run of mediocrity, creating an enjoyable headbanger that is very fast paced and would have worked as well as Evil Unleashed as an opener, because both show you want to expect from Blood Tsunami and do it well. In fact, I think it would have worked better because the lyric problem isn’t as prevalent. Sure, they aren’t thought-provoking, but they aren’t nearly as stereotypical and cliché. The whole group shouts during the chorus, and it gives it a more energetic and powerful feeling.
The next track is the biggest surprise (for me) of the album, and also probably tied for best track of the album with Rampage of Revenge. Godbeater, a ten minute long instrumental. When I first started listening to it, I was immediately surprised how much slower it started than the rest of the tracks. There is much more melody in this song and the bass is also very audible. For a ten minute song by a band that mostly does short, intense thrashers, I was surprised by how it never really dragged on or felt overblown. It seemed to fit, and the riffs stay long enough to get a lot of enjoyment out of them, but they don’t over stay their welcome and become boring. The track slowly picks up its pace and ends with some fantastic soloing and drumming. Easily one of the standout tracks and it is interesting to see how Blood Tsunami pulled it off.
The next track, Killing Spree, picks up almost right where Godbeater leaves off, and erupts into a brutal thrasher that is pretty much faster than anything else off the album. Its uncompromising pace is fantastic and the drummer goes crazy with rolls and other techniques. Unfortunately, the bass isn’t nearly as audible as it was in Godbeater, which is a disappointment after the fantastic job the bassist did in that song. Did they think he couldn’t keep up with the rest of the band? Overall, this track ends the album perfectly for Blood Tsunami’s style. You start with a swift kick to the groin and end with them beating you while you lie on the ground writhing with pain.
This album is a must have for any extreme metal fans. The riffs are great, the pace uncompromising, and the slightest hints of melody help this album reach the top of my listening list. Unfortunately, some lackluster tracks, cliché lyrics, and a bass that isn’t as audible as it should be create some problems. However, taken as a whole, the album is amazing and worth every penny.
Recommended Tracks:
Rampage of Revenge
Godbeater
Killing Spree
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