I always considered Hexen part of the Thrash revival bandwagon, which may have been true four years ago, but not so today. How bands can start off so traditional and then tip the prog scales on their very next album is beyond me, but it almost always works in everyone's favor. This album holds its own against the classics and sure as hell beats what the "old guard" of Thrash bands are putting out these days. Time changes, abstract concepts, and ultra-bright production are all waiting for you on the other side of the link.
I've actually been an on-and-off Brujeria Fan for 12 years, but this is the first time I've really listened to Assassin (using the gringo name as not to be shut down). If Brujeria is Metallica, then Assassin is Megadeth, meaning: an improved version of the same formula. The Style and sound is almost identical, as if there never was a split and the original line up of guero-haters just kept on going. But, it's still not entirely the same. The Fear Factory/Nu Metal influence has been shelved, making for a more consistently brutal attack. The overall sound is a bit "leaner" too, no surprise as Assassin is a trio and not a 7-piece. Lastly, the guitar-work is slightly more varied and technical, with less of the rapid palm-mutes that Dino Cazares was known for in the 90's. There's not nearly of as much the lock-tight rhythms that Dino and Raymond Herrera (FF and Brujeria) had, but the improvement in songwriting, guitar-work and production more than makes up for it. Honestly, this is the best stuff any of these guys have done in over ten years. I would also like to mention that Assassin are completely Mestizo, whereas half of Brujeria is comprised of lily-white Europeans (who probably don't even speak spanish).
I know I've made fun of these guys on here before, but they're actually quite good. Like me, you're gonna have to look past the fact that they call their fans "hell-thrashers" and wear intentionally dated clothing, because they can still play Thrash like nobody's business. Stylistically, they're heavily influenced by Slayer and Destruction and sound rather "proto-black/death metal" because of that. If that makes sense, since it's now 25 years after the fact. The riffing in particular, with the heavy "hammer-ons" and "pull-offs", lovingly remind me of Destruction's famed, early years. These guys don't fuck around with the speed either, you'll find no Headbanger's Ball-ready slow tracks. This is just a straight ripper all the way through. The older I get, the more I demand originality from bands, but there's always a place in my heart for really well-done derivatives like Merciless Death. If you liked that Nekromantheon post I did a while ago, you'll like this.
Unless you're really into Hardcore, you might not know that Zach de la Rocha used to sing for one of the best and most important "Youth Crew" bands out of California. What also might surprise you is that Seminal band only released one amazing EP before disbanding a year later. So far ahead of their time, this EP (with some cleaner production) could be considered Modern Hardcore even by today's standards. The breakdowns, the pinch-harmic leads are all very Metallic, but the lyrics and vocals are pure Hardcore Punk; harkening back to the early 80's golden age. This effort combines the two genres in the best possible way; the musicianship and bottom-heaviness of Metal with the energy and honesty of Hardcore. I've always liked Zach's harsh screams, and here, he's even better than he would become with 'Rage. I can't believe I haven't posted about this earlier. This record is sort of the Hardcore equivalent of Antichrist or Privilege of Evil; an almost untouchable scene classic. It's that good.
This record pretty much has it all, except for the length. What I mean is that there are few American Death Metal bands that you won't be reminded of when listening to this. Malignancy, Cannibal Corpse, Origin... They're all here. While their influences might be splattered for miles like a crashed airplane, their attack is tighter than your girlfriend's stretchy pants. It better be too, because the technicality bar has never been higher.
It's been too long since I posted some moshy shit, so I'm bringing out this bruiser. I first saw this band opening for Final Fight's last show, and was definitely impressed. They definitely bring the "fat" in more ways than one. Sure, their music is sweaty and overweight, but they also tend to draw a fatter fanbase, as well as having two fat members in the band (think Crowbar). I especially remember one guy at their show that was dancing pretty hard, despite being 350+ pounds. What a nice break that was from being surrounded by puny, "more elitist than thou" vegans that I was used to.
Getting to the actual music, Xibalba sound like a more modern version of Disembodied: just constant slow to mid-paced moshy Metalcore with a slight Death Metal influence. For working out, or practicing the "helicopter" in front of your mirror at home, nothing beats this. You might even hurt your rotator cuff by the time the album finishes. Even if you have the demo version, you should still download this, as it's a properly mixed and mastered version.
This album brings me back to when (Irish accent) I was a wee little boy in the summer 2006. I was so stoked to be visiting the Bay Area, which I considered to be a liberal utopia at the time. The recent wave of melodic Posi bands was giving me a fresh take on Hardcore. One of those bands was Final Fight, and I had been waiting a couple months to see them at the golden temple known as Gilman. The show was pretty cool, but the best part was just being able to experience a different scene, straightedge. Coming from the old-school and Crust dominated scene in Minneapolis, this new culture was inspiring. Seeing hardcore kids that were hygienic, sober, and in good health was pretty revolutionary to me. I knew scenes like this existed, I had just never seen them before, it was like going to a concert for the first time all over again.
Now, about the record: Under Attack is a modern-day classic of Melodic Hardcore. Although typically short, it's got hooks in spades from all the instruments, without any annoying clean singing. It keeps a pretty brisk pace with occasional moderate-chunk mosh parts to give some dynamics. Short songs, plenty of time changes, memorable riffs and rhythms, this album never get's boring (except for that long chord loop at the end, but hey, nothing's perfect). This style may be an acquired taste (even for Hardcore die-hards), but if you like your Hardcore with hooks and a positive message, this is for you.
