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░ ██ ██ Artist: Tiran ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Apocalyptic Tales █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2019-10-20 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Thrash Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Global Thrash Attack ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CDR ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Demo ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Yikes! This was a bit of a tough listen for sure. █
█ ╥Φ≡αφ are a newer thrash group based out of █
█ Russia, bordering on the fringe line of death █
█ metal. Apocalyptic Tales is their third full █
█ length effort, hitting the scene last year. █
█ Basically, to sum it up, it's a short speedball █
█ not even hitting a half hour in run time, and to █
█ be honest, that was a relief. Musically, there is █
█ a small pinch of listenable material, mostly when █
█ the guitars take the forefront and solos break █
█ out, but that's about it. Nothing too impressive █
█ either. █
█ Beyond that, the rest of the instrumentation is █
█ about as monotonous and typical as it gets. Poor █
█ production does nothing for it, making it sound █
█ like a band's first demo, rather a third full █
█ length. There's definitely hints of a teutonic █
█ thrash influence, with the blasting and furious █
█ overtone in the guitar work, as well as the █
█ constant topics of war, death, and destruction. █
█ The drums are way too high in the mix, almost █
█ forcing the guitars to have to compete, which █
█ makes for a pretty uncomfortable listen. It █
█ doesn't help that they also have that "tin" sound █
█ to them that was overdone in Metallica's St. Anger █
█ at times. I guess all in all, the riffs, when you █
█ can hear them correctly, contain a level of █
█ abrasive edge that can be somewhat redeeming, but █
█ again, this is just me looking hard for things to █
█ like about it, and it's pretty average. █
█ The instrumentation being lackluster, believe it █
█ or not, isn't what makes this as rough as it is. █
█ The vocals are the greatest downfall of this, █
█ being painful to listen to. Picture someone trying █
█ to pull off a Kreator or Exodus style, with that █
█ messy shreik-like kick, but failing miserably. █
█ It's absolutely incomprehensible, and carries no █
█ sign of rhythm or even a hint of musical melody. █
█ The singer sounds like they're in pain the whole █
█ time, screaming for some kind of relief. To fully █
█ understand, it's recommended to see for yourself. █
█ At times, death growls are thrown in, which also █
█ adds onto that death metal fringeline I mentioned █
█ earlier. They never do much for me, but to be █
█ honest, they're probably a step up. █
█ I've never listened to this band's other works, so █
█ perhaps they take a different angle, but this █
█ album is certainly not for me, and look at this as █
█ a fair warning to anyone willing to seek it out. I █
█ had a tough time getting through the twenty five █
█ minute run-time, and it felt longer than that. I █
█ guess at least the album artwork is cool? But it █
█ got my hopes up. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ HereÆs one of several thrash releases from 2017 █
█ that I overlooked as the end of summer saw a surge █
█ of releases. ╥Φ≡αφ is a long active thrash band █
█ from Velikie Luki, Russia that often incorporate █
█ elements of death metal into their off-the-cuff █
█ raw form of thrashing. Their style more or less █
█ pulls from æExtreme AggressionÆ era Kreator and █
█ late 80Æs Destruction for riff structure though █
█ they dive headfirst towards raw Devastation █
█ (Illinois) style death/thrash here and there. █
█ Despite ╥Φ≡αφ actively releasing demos and records █
█ since 2006, æApocalyptic TalesÆ is definitely on █
█ the amateur end of recording quality and guitar █
█ work as it barely manages staying æon timeÆ. If █
█ you can look beyond the lack of production value, █
█ there are some worthy riffs throughout. █
█ æApocalyptic TalesÆ is the third full-length from █
█ ╥Φ≡αφ and comes in spontaneous form due to Tiran █
█ (guitars/vocals) feeling that full-lengths rarely █
█ capture the current state of the bandÆs sound, at █
█ least not as well as EPs/Singles do. I can █
█ understand this as releases are slow to form and █
█ ideas must really count when making it a █
█ long-play, but I generally prefer the more █
█ thoughtful and meticulous work on their second █
█ album æReborn ChaosÆ to the raw sloppiness of this █
█ recording. The performances were previously █
█ tighter and their blend of death, black and thrash █
█ influences was far more coherent. █
█ Roughly four years in itÆs conception æApocalyptic █
█ TalesÆ still feels rushed and perhaps █
█ intentionally spontaneous. Most of the guitar █
█ ideas fall flat but the messy solos are the worst █
█ offense. If youÆre a riff-obsessed thrash metal █
█ fan that leans towards æPleasure to KillÆ era █
█ Kreator, Blood Feast, or even tech-thrash hybrids █
█ like Dimesland you might enjoy this style but, I █
█ find the lack of precision isnÆt remedied by █
█ unbridled energy in this case. It lands a few █
█ steps from being death metal æSt. AngerÆ when the █
█ riffs/lead guitars arenÆt sure where to go next. █
█ Even if I seem a bit negative towards æApocalyptic █
█ TalesÆ there are a few amazing moments worth █
█ hearing. ôEntropyö recalls the style of æReborn █
█ ChaosÆ with some great death metal riffs, though █
█ it is occasionally halted by pseudo-prog guitar █
█ wailing. The main showpiece here is definitely █
█ ôMetal Messiahö an incredible speed metal driven █
█ song that reminded me of Destructionæs first album █
█ æInfernal OverkillÆ briefly. All things considered █
█ I would recommend this album if it wasnÆt for the █
█ Kerry King style ærandomÆ guitar solos that become █
█ completely absurd with repeated listens. █
█ æApocalyptic TalesÆ is an obscurity worth skimming █
█ over once or twice for some inspired riffsà but █
█ perhaps far too roughly conceived, and derivative █
█ to recommend. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Apocalyptic Tales 2:38 ░
░ 2. Agony in Hate 3:37 ░
░ 3. Crawling Pile 3:26 ░
░ 4. Entropy 3:21 ░
░ 5. Metal Messiah 3:09 ░
░ 6. Amnesia (I Hope So) 2:39 ░
░ 7. Speed as Hell, Drunk as Well 3:54 ░
░ 8. A Pilot's Ruin 3:08 ░
░ 9. Used (Live in Dublin 6/06/2016) (Bonus 3:13 ░
░ Track) ░
░ 10. Crawling Pile (Live in Dublin 6/06/2016) 3:29 ░
░ (Bonus Track) ░
░ 32:34 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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