EndlessPain
Chronicles Of Death

Endless Pain... Kreator. Certain associations of ideas come to you spontaneously if you have listened to some thrash albums beyond the usual Big 4. However, in this case, we are off track. The Brescian EndlessPain (all one word), who have been playing "extreme metal" since 2001, as proudly stated in the CD booklet, are no longer to be associated with Mille Petrozza's band or the German school in general. From the previous e.p., a pleasant death turn was already noticeable, mainly due to the then-new singer. But in this "Chronicles Of Death," released in the spring by the visionary Nadir Music (a Genoese label that maximizes the value of local talents), they go truly beyond.

Pure death metal. The splatter cover is clear, the hints to Kreator and the melody are practically nil. The whole album works beautifully, and the main credit goes to the new drummer, a monster capable of shaping the songs as he pleases, inserting technical, fast, and unusual parts here and there that significantly enrich the compositions. The rest of the band is equally impressive; the experience gained in ten years of honorable underground career is very evident. The guitar work is tremendously varied, ranging from heavy riffs close to asphyxiating death/doom ("Dead End Nightmare") to the Swedish nuances of "...In Cold Blood" and the martial sound of the Polish school in "Atrocity," yet there are also references to modern American metal ("The Prophet"). "Slaughter For The Legacy" proves to be the track most connected to the band’s past, in a minor way similar to the insidious and unhealthy "Trespassing The Shores Of Evil." Luckily, the bass is not drowned in the violence of the production and is alive and pulsating in its complementary work. Finally, the voice of Hate is a summary of today's extreme music, capable of shouting with hate (as the name suggests) the lyrics and not resting on laurels, resulting in varied and engaging performances. Much more appreciated in the death and heavy moments than in the thrash ones - remember, very few - but still delivering easily memorable choruses like in "The Ascents Of Golgotha." In the first part of the tracklist, it is reminiscent of a certain Mortuus from Marduk in how he manages to modulate his voice and be expressive. A special mention goes to the mighty and incredible "Dead End Nightmare," featuring Trevor from Sadist on vocals, a piece that is nothing short of horrifying, chilling the blood in your veins.

Usually, I am not particularly attracted by lyrics, but in this case, I make an exception since EndlessPain have intelligently added a touch of originality to their work by addressing the most heinous crimes committed in Italy in the last quarter-century. Because as long as demons and zombies are involved, you laugh, but when death metal is accompanied by testimonies of horror that are concrete and, above all, close to you... well, it takes on a whole different meaning.

Ghostly. One of the albums of the year.