Review Summary: It has the Metal Archives stamp of disapproval. Of course it rules.
While Believer went on to become innovators by playing technical thrash metal with symphonic elements later in their career, their 1989 debut album
Extraction From Mortality proves to be a rather humble beginning by comparison. That is not to say this isn't a good album. On the contrary, what you will find here is 42 minutes of highly competent thrash with not a moment of filler.
After a collage of news soundbites and tension-building sounds to start the album, the band comes in fast and furious on the opening track "Unite". This song contains the formula for pretty much all of what is heard on
Extraction From Mortality: fast dual guitars, galloping bass, drumming which is more technical than it may seem at first, and gang vocals. Lots and lots of gang vocals. The gang vocals on this album are delivered with such authority and conviction that it turns my veins ice cold. If somebody was ever looking to start something I would definitely want these dudes on my side. Kurt and Dave's guitar work on this album is crazy fast. Just contemplating it would make anyone's picking hand crumble away into dust and nothingness. There are also a lot of strange solos on this album, something which would become a signature aspect of Believer's sound and would be taken to further levels on their next two albums. Joey's drumming blasts and pounds away for the entire album with a lot of quick fills and is complemented well by the bass. As I mentioned before, the bass gallops and gallops hard. In fact the bass on "Vile Hypocrisy" gallops so hard it's as if it was performed by a mammal of the equidae family. Vocally, Kurt employs a raspy shout which he would evolve and alter with each successive album. His vocals on this particular album are pretty standard for thrash but they are awesome nonetheless.
Most of
Extraction From Mortality is dedicated to full on thrash, but there are moments throughout the album which mercifully give the listener a short rest from the insanity. "Shadow of Death", which is perhaps Believer's signature song, features an eerie and memorable clean intro that lasts for about half a minute. Elsewhere, the album's title track sees the band dabbling in symphonic music for the first time. While the song "Dies Irae" from Believer's sophomore album
Sanity Obscure and "The Trilogy of Knowledge" from
Dimensions incorporate symphonic elements more seamlessly into the band's music, here it serves simply as an intro and is separate from the rest of the song. The final song on the album "Stress" is more humorous and lighthearted in tone than the other 8 songs and contains reggae/ska riffs. All of these moments combined with the rest of the album's thrash madness make for a great listening experience.
It is pretty astonishing to think how awesome Believer were right out of the gate. They were certainly not out to break any new ground within the thrash realm on this debut. The symphonic elements of their next two releases were not nearly as prevalent on this album and the songwriting may not have been as technical or forward-thinking. But
Extraction From Mortality contains 42 minutes of enjoyable and tightly played thrash that is good for your soul. If you listen to this and end up finding that all of your possessions have been smashed to pieces because you moshed in your living room, don't blame me.
