Friday, February 10, 2017

CD Review: MUTILATOR Immortal Force (Reissue) (Greyhaze Records) by Simon Brown

MUTILATOR
Greyhaze Records
Originally released in 1987
For fans of Australia’s very own 80’s death/thrash merchants Slaughter Lord and USA’s Municipal Waste, Mutilator deliver a thrash metal onslaught at breakneck speed. Production wise it’s not so great as the bass is barely audible and the guitars are muted with only the vocals and drums prominent. Having said that, the music is played with passion and that’s the important bit. Quality wise, if the listener is seeking thrash slightly sped up, they will not be disappointed. “Blood Storm” nods to some of Bathory’s later releases and has a nice mid-tempo section to bring cohesion. The other problem with this release is at eleven tracks, the songs meld into one another. “War Dogs” is a standout moment for this band as the song rips along with a solo leading the way from the start. The 6th track “Brigade of Hate” is the first track to bring in extended variation. This is done through multiple mid-tempo changes mixed with tremolo. It is by far the best song on the album and shows glimpses of a band maturing. Interestingly, “Evil Conspiracy” and “Visions of Darkness” have a far better production than the other tracks on this release with everything audible. As a final note, questions remain over the technique of soloing in this entire release but it is part of the genre. Released via Greyhaze Records. -Simon Brown

Track list:
1. Memorial Stone Without a Name
2. Blood Storm
3. Butcher
4. War Dogs
5. Mutilator
6. Brigade of Hate
7. Immortal Force
8. Tormented Soul
9. Paranoiac Command
10. Evil Conspiracy
11. Visions of Darkness

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