Review Summary: A solid technical thrash album that is perfect for fans of Testament and Forbidden.
Madmaze are a technical thrash band from Italy. The Italian thrashers are a relatively new addition to the thrash revival movement, having only formed in 2010. While they are new on the scene, the band manages to sound like hardened old school veterans of the genre thanks to their ability to lay down solid technical thrash that is highly dependant on skilled guitar work.
Madmaze offer a very technical and riff driven form of thrash that is reminiscent of the band’s obvious influences, borrowing from the melodic tendencies of early Testament and the technicality of early Forbidden. Like many of their thrash counterparts, Madmaze has two guitarists, and this gives Frames of Alienation a more layered guitar sound, with dueling solos and heavier than average riffs common throughout the duration of the record. The album is rather solo heavy, with solos in every track on the album. The soloing is adequately enjoyable to say the least, but not very remarkable, as the guitarists focus on raw speed and technicality rather than catchy and memorable material. Still though, there is much to be said about this bands fast paced aggressive assault, with intense and energetic performances oozing out of this thrashfest of an album. When they are not thrashing, the album can occasionally sound slightly melodic at times, with slowed down and calm parts of the album showcasing intricate and melodic guitar playing. A good example of this is the brilliantly awesome instrumental track “Beyond”. Aside from the guitars, the drumming is almost equally technical and impressive, keeping the tempo of course, but doing so in a way that almost entices the listener to start head banging, although little can be said about the nearly non-existent bass.
Unfortunately, Madmaze bring almost nothing new to the genre, (save for a couple melodic moments here and there), and the album shows little variation from the band’s all out thrash assault style. Instead of aiming for more creative endeavors, the band emulates their influences, going for a more retro thrash sound largely dependant on repetitive riffing. While they do pull it off for the most part, this album may leave many craving for something more fresh and creative. Another issue lies within the vocal department. The vocalist manages to sound menacing and rough, yet there is hardly any vocal range variation, so the vocals may seem stale after only a couple listens and can leave much to be desired.
These issues aside, Frames of Alienation is a great piece of technical thrash that reminds us of why we keep listening to the genre. The bands ability to put forth solid riffs and solos save them from mediocrity, and while there is nothing particularly amazing about them, they know how to craft satisfying retro thrash that could fit right in with old school albums we know and listen to. I highly recommend this to my fellow thrashers, but not so much for anyone else, as this kind of metal is an acquired taste.
