Saturday, January 17, 2015

CD review: BEYOND THRESHOLD Who We Are (Turkey Vulture) by Dave Wolff

Who We Are
Turkey Vulture
More metalcore courtesy of Turkey Vulture records, from a band with significantly more in common with their thrash counterparts of the glorious 80s. Beyond Threshold is singular in their approach and make no secret of their intentions musically or lyrically. Ringing of classic Metallica, Megadeth and Exodus and modernizing that influence for the metalcore era of today, this Illinois band revitalize everything about classic thrash that helped to rescue metal from a watered down lipstick fix, concentrating on the muscle and sweat rather than the hairspray and eyeliner (granted androgynous hair metal began as street music with the New York Dolls prior to its mainstream-ization ten years later, but I digress). There is a certain sense of strength, power and intensity throughout this recording, even more so than usual, whether it starts with thrash vibes in “Never Again” or continues with 2000s vibes in “Justify The Means.” Waves of complete and total rage wash over you with this album, which promises to regain lost confidence either forgotten or stolen one way or the other. The vocals lean closer to the hardcore edge of metalcore, providing a convincing balance between aggression and emotion to make for a memorable gathering of songs. This is a band that will leave their mark. -Dave Wolff