“Prepare For War” is the first demo from
Philippines-based thrash metal band Paraphrenic Hostility. The title is an apt
description of the 3 songs the band presents on this release. Their approach is
fast and noisy, but the playing is tight. Riffs are thrown at the listener with
rapid fire, rarely letting up. While these riffs are grounded in thrash,
Paraphrenic Hostility’s singer takes more of a rougher death/thrash approach.
The combination of his low-pitched grunting alongside being a bit further back
in the mix keeps the riffs in focus throughout this release. It is only when
the guitar solos appear that the riffs take a back seat. These solos
demonstrate that the band’s guitarists are quite talented, as their sound is
not dissimilar from early Kreator. In other words, Paraphrenic Hostility’s guitarists
play speedy atonal licks that are designed to make the music feel even more
chaotic.
Though the band is successful in achieving
a noisy sound, it also hurts them. There is little semblance of memorable riffs
or vocal lines. The guitars put forth such a buzz that one can’t help but feel
that sounding cleaner would greatly benefit the band. When thing are
simplified, such as in the breakdown near the end of “Kamatayan sa Kamay na
Bakal”, the band really gets on a roll. Most of the time, however, it is too
difficult to discern what is going on. Overall, “Prepare For War” is a demo
that shows potential, but is harmed by production. Fans of thrash should still
check it out, but it is likely that Paraphrenic Hostility will go on to greater
things in the future.
Highlights
All/none
Final Rating
3.25/5 or 65%.
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