Review Summary: The soaring cacophony of a band forgotten by most, but deeply appreciated by a few.
One of the most memorable small moments for me in the documentary “Anvil: The Story of Anvil” is when metal legend Lemmy sums up why the aforementioned Canadian speed/thrash band and so many other equally talented but obscure bands don’t make it to the limelight: “You just gotta be at the right place, at the right time. If you’re not at the right place at the right time, you will never do it.” Such as the sad, but harsh truth for many bands. Including veteran Dutch death/thrash metal masters Thanatos.
Formed in 1984, Thanatos actually carries the honor for being the first extreme metal band coming out of the Netherlands, and given the obvious musicianship, talent and sound they certainly had everything that would’ve turned them into a major driving force in the European death metal scene. The only thing they didn’t have was making their big debut at the right moment. By the time they enrolled with 1990’s otherwise excellent and demolishing “Emerging from the Netherworlds”, Pestilence already stole the thunder of becoming the major Dutch import of death metal and not even the complex, atmospheric “Realm of Ecstasy” could change that. After enduring constantly changing line-ups and problems with distribution, promotion, and even ownership of the rights to the second album and touring, Thanatos folded in 1992, just when death metal was reaching its peak.
This unfortunate backstory pretty much determines Thanatos being the secret, forgotten favorite of diehard genre fans, despite the fact the band has reunited and going steady for more than 20 years now. Releasing a number of studio albums over the years, bandleader/vocalist Stephan Gebédi and his partners maintained a brand of music that has all the tapestries of classic death metal but sonically still had the rough edges of thrash metal. A blend that was very much present during the late 80’s, early 90’s when the two genres hasn’t separated themselves. The music on records such as “Justified Genocide” or “Global Purification” was consistent, energetic. But 2020’s “Violent Death Rituals” (their first album in over five years) shows a step-up in both inspiration and songwriting.
The opening title track already lays down the groundwork with meaty, grinding guitars, double bass drumming quickly transitioning from a mid-tempo pace to a breakneck assault with ferocious riffs, screeching solos and Stephan Gebédi absolutely venomous vocals. His snarling and word-spitting is another factor that sets Thanatos’s music closer to its thrash roots, ever more specifically the more blackened roots of thrash marked such albums like Bathory’s debut or Sodom’s Obsessed with Cruelty. Or if we were seek another more contemporary band we can mention Poland’s Vader, whom also make a similarly ferocious and often atmospheric mixture of metal genres. It doesn’t take long for us to notice the expert musicianship that drives this album. The guitar work of Gebédi and longtime second guitarist Paul Baayens is nothing short of pure six-string excellence as they construct each song filled with hard-hitting, pulsating and dynamic riffs, fluid tempo shifts going from tremolo-picked accords to slower, powerful ones.
Thanatos never had a problem of creating memorable riffs or songs, but “Violent Death Rituals” genuinely feels like a step-up both in quality, consistency and even technicality. The later becomes especially true with the numerous lead sections, where the two axemen show not only speed and dexterity but also a finesse for melodic composition and mood. The simpler but extremely effective breakdown from “Unholy Predators” is something right out from a top notch Obituary song, while others showcase a whirlwind of furious shredding and maniacal tapping that complements the brutality of the songs well.
Another thing that makes the album a constant enjoyable listen is the subtle variety within the songs which also display the numerous influences the band and its members have met over the years. From the harsher version of Bay Area-like thrash (“The Outer Darkness”) and Swedish melodic death metal (“It Always Ends in Blood”), to the brooding mood and apocalyptic building of death/doom showcased in the final track “As the Cannons Fade” that even introduces haunting cleaner guitar sections. But given the extensive history Paul Baayens has with other famous metal bands (particularly with Dutch death/doom titans Asphyx) this shouldn’t come as a surprise. The real icing on the cake however is the production, which not only creates a clean but powerful bite to the guitars, the audible bass and the punchy drums but also makes room for the more layered, atmospheric beats.
In conclusion “Violent Death Rituals” doesn’t reinvents the wheel in any way, what it does is showing a reliable, veteran band showcasing their developed sound the best way they could. Thanatos may never be mentioned among the great bands of European death metal but whatever justice life can give to them lies in their quality music which continues to be appreciated by their fans however small group might that be.
