Centripetal Force – Eidetic

Despite thrash metal’s nearly 35-year existence, it still remains one subgenre of metal with a relatively limited scope. There are tons of original bands in the style, but most of the newer ones tend to avoid the more experimental and exploratory sounds. In particular, the technical brand of power/thrash pioneered by gods like Toxik, Watchtower, Realm, and others has been largely ignored. Fortunately, international group Centripetal Force seeks to bring back this sound with their debut EP “Eidetic”.

Truthfully, this release is all over the place. It spends much of its time thrashing with appropriate force, but features a wild, wailing singer who is not afraid to go after notes that make little sense. Toxik is the best point of comparison because both bands feature singers that are effective due to their sheer absurdity. They almost sound like cartoon characters at times. Musically, there is a similar lack of focus. “Centripetal Force” in particular goes all over the place, jumping between strange interludes, more traditional thrashy riffing, and then uber-technical moments. And though it all feels disjointed, it works so well because it is original. Admittedly, this isn’t music you’re likely to latch onto the first time you hear it, but there is a certain understated brilliance to the band’s sound. 

“Eidetic” is far too ambitious for its own good. Centripetal Force does have a lot of potential however. They would benefit from simplifying their song structures considerably. Keeping the technical element, but discarding the “randomness” of it, seems like a surefire way to create a more coherent, upper-tier thrash release. As it stands, “Eidetic” is nonetheless very impressive. Put it this way: if you listened to 100 songs from various modern thrash bands, Centripetal Force is unquestionably the one that will stand out the most! For better or worse, that’s a great quality to have in a crowded field.

Be sure to check out and like Centripetal Force on Facebook!

Highlight

"Eidetic Memory"

Final Rating

4.0/5 or 80%. 

Euphoria – The Omega Void

Detroit’s Euphoria made a huge splash with their Vektor-inspired tech-thrash record “Operation: Genesis” last year. Fortunately, they wouldn’t wait too long before giving us another taste of this cyberschizophrenic brand of thrash, as they have recently unleashed a new EP. Besides featuring far superior cover art, “The Omega Void” largely follows in the footsteps of its predecessor. Featuring mind-boggling riffing that sounds like it was written by extraterrestrial lifeforms, the songs on this EP are simply otherworldly. The band’s psychotic maelstrom of riffs is complemented by a vocalist whose voice defies logic. At times, he imitates a more predictable thrash singer, but he always has a tinge of shriekyness in his sound. There’s no shortage of ear-piercing screams on this record, and they only up the intensity of the music. If you ever successfully understand what he’s saying, it might be helpful to have a dictionary handy because this isn’t music about zombies ripping people apart: it’s some complex stuff (and I say that as someone with a Master’s degree…).

Surprisingly, even the production on “The Omega Void” is almost identical to the band’s debut. There was a unique, punchy bass drum tone that Euphoria had created last time around, and it is still retained on this EP. Aside from the drums, the guitars also stand out for having a razor-sharp tone, making some of the more standard thrash riffs even more aggressive. Despite Euphoria’s tendency towards all things extreme, they have some softer moments. The lengthy “Dimension Zeroth” has a huge melodic interlude where the band’s guitarist unleashes some fury on his fretboard. The remaining instruments eventually build back to heavier music, but the solo keeps going. The band’s ability to seamlessly move between these types of segments makes them far more effective. 

There really aren’t many legitimate weaknesses of “The Omega Void”. While it does only have two full tracks, the latter is almost nine minutes of fun. The interlude of “Senescence” is definitely a waste of time, and consists of some scratchy violins with no clear purpose. Hopefully, the band’s future full-lengths avoid the progressive tendencies to stuff albums full of interludes that don’t really add any value. When Euphoria is thrashing, they do so exceptionally, so as long as they stay on track, they will definitely still be a band to watch for the future!

Be sure to check out and like Euphoria on Facebook!

Highlights

"The Divine Embrace"

"Dimension Zeroth"

Final Rating

4.4/5 or 88%. 

Midnight – Sweet Death and Ecstasy

Few bands can claim as much responsibility for the recent rise of dirty black/thrash/speed metal as Cleveland’s Midnight. And while this naturally attracts a horde of incredibly untalented musicians making mediocre music, Midnight has always been a cut above their imitators. 2014’s “No Mercy For Mayhem” in particular was filled to the brim with energetic, catchy tunes. For this reason, the follow-up, “Sweet Death and Ecstasy” proved to be somewhat of a disappointment.

Make no mistake, this album still sounds like Midnight. Athenar’s Cronos-like vocals are still in tact, as he grunts his way through the record with little difficulty. Musically, the band hasn’t really changed their approach either, opting for a rough around the edges sound. The music is incredibly proficient for the style, and Midnight is adept at adding melody to their songs (a major failing of many of the band’s peers). Nevertheless, the album retains a sleazy, almost sloppy feel to it.

With a familiar sound, it might not be clear why “Sweet Death and Ecstasy” is a disappointment, but the truth is that the songwriting just isn’t as memorable as it was in the past. There isn’t a single effort that stands out as being an instant live favourite. It doesn’t help that the pacing of the record was mismanaged; it opens with a 7-minute, plodding track that does very little of interest, and then immediately rips into a shorter, speedier number that sounds exactly like what everyone would want out of Midnight. 

After this, it’s business as usual for Midnight. Most tracks are on the faster side, and overflowing with simplistic, NWOBHM-esque riffs. So while the record might not be a disappointment for most, it just feels like Midnight bought into their own hype. While metal isn’t really relevant enough to offend anyone in 2017, the cover art feels like a cry for attention. The music is by the numbers, which isn’t to say it’s bad, but just not as brilliant as their past work. So if you’re a fan of Midnight, “Sweet Death and Ecstasy” is probably worth a purchase, but it falls very short of the band’s previous album.

Be sure to check out and like Midnight on Facebook!

Highlights

"Penetratal Ecstasy"

"Here Comes Sweet Death"

Final Rating

3.5/5 or 70%.