Our local metallers are back with a decidedly very beautiful and very thrash album, performed with their usual technical skill and their unique style that strongly echoes the '80s thrash.
The production significantly highlights the work of drums and guitars. I have a reservation about the vocals, which in my opinion should have been produced in a more sincere and full-bodied way. Sometimes they are too faint and overshadowed by the music, almost strangled by the overall flow of the song instead of actively and powerfully participating in the instrument work.
The unmistakable style of '80s thrash is immediately evident in the notes of “Forever Slaves” and “War Paint”; both alternate fast and aggressive parts with slower and more cadenced sections that still release significant energy. “Master of Morphine” immediately breaks the rhythm with an arpeggiated intro that gives way to a mid-tempo, reminding me (especially in the vocals) of the latest offerings from 'Children of Bodom'.
The fast start of “Wave” makes you jump out of your seat, then it slows down and speeds up several times and the fast parts are particularly interesting; the slow ones leave me puzzled, not for their quality, but because they don't quite fit the overall song. “Theoretical And Artificial” instead is the song that surprises me the most and I consider it the best of the album: the final acceleration and solo are spectacular. “Identity Crisis” is very (perhaps too) experimental, featuring a female voice reciting phrases in French and a part with some string sections. Honestly, it’s an episode that leaves me almost completely indifferent, and if it wasn't in the album, it wouldn’t have lost or gained anything.
“Beautiful Brutal World” brings us back to classic thrash metal coordinates, a must-listen. The 55 seconds of “Hyperbole” introduce us to the long title track “100% Hell”. The beautiful beginning by Peso immediately makes way for a strong, fast riff and structures mainly inspired by German thrash. The central part is great, with vocals in Latin and very nervous music that opens into slow, dark, and deep death-like parts, as if we were descending into hell. The final part retraces the first minutes of the track, leaving us with a very good song, albeit a bit long, but never boring.
We cannot really speak of new or imaginative music. However, the inspiration is all there and one thing is certain: those who miss the good old European thrash without various contaminations can enjoy listening to this album, which, though not a masterpiece, deserves credit for reminding us of the glory of one of the genres that most characterized the extreme metal scene.
Tracklist and Videos
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