Mortal Scepter – As Time Sharpens The Sentence

Just a year after putting out a killer black/thrash demo, France’s Mortal Scepter has signed with Unspeakable Axe Records to release their first EP, entitled “As Time Sharpens The Sentence”. This EP is an excellent embodiment of what makes this dark style of thrash great, as it delivers both riffs and atmosphere with incredible consistency. Take the title song for example, where Mortal Scepter makes use of the trademark black/thrash ride cymbal abuse as they unleash crawling riffs that make significant use of the fretboard. Shortly after this, the first verse begins, and the riff underneath is so potent that you almost forget that the vocalist is singing. This is quite possibly the most enticing section of the entire record simply because the riff is so active, and perfectly compliments the insanity of the band’s vocal approach.

As you might imagine, the band’s singer, offers a more brutal take with his snarls. Paying great homage to early black metal, his singing is raspy and cavernous, and with the right amount of effort from the listener, can occasionally be understood. He also incorporates his take on those Schmier-esque high-pitched screams on more than a few occasions. Even though his voice is very serviceable, it truly is the music that makes “As Time Sharpens The Sentence” so great. A song like “Execution Symphony” shows the band firing on all cylinders; the double bass that opens the track is immensely powerful, and is the driving force of this track, which spends most of its time firing off uptempo riffs. Much to the delight of 4 and 5-stringers everywhere, this song also has a superb bass presence; Mortal Scepter’s bass player is unleashing all sorts of interesting lines that stand out even amongst the madness of the guitars. This track as a whole exemplifies the EP: fantastic performances all around with maniacal riffs and an insanely tight rhythm section. Though the band makes use of many black/thrash tropes, they don’t rely on any one in particular, and instead look to great songwriting to keep you coming back to this release.

And then there’s the Destruction cover. It is my opinion that “Sentence of Death” is the best black/thrash release in history, and “Total Desaster” is also deserving of the title of best black/thrash song ever. The reality is, nobody is going to do this song justice. That’s not a shot at Mortal Scepter; the simple fact is that it is impossible to recapture the energy that Destruction had on that original recording. But Mortal Scepter does a pretty decent job. This style of music has certainly evolved since 1984, and the band manages to make “Total Desaster” sound more like one of their songs than you might otherwise expect. 

“As Time Sharpens The Sentence” is an impressive offering of black/thrash that shows Mortal Scepter can stand up against any band in the subgenre. They’ve nailed the production on this EP, and the songwriting is also strong (though I wouldn’t mind seeing the band taking a stab at shorter, more concise songs). Overall, this release is yet another must-own from Unspeakable Axe Records!

Be sure to check out and like Mortal Scepter on Facebook!

Highlights

"As Time Sharpens The Sentence"

"Execution Symphony"

Final Rating

4.3/5 or 86%. 

Written by Scott

Mynded – Dead End Paradise

Nearly 30 years removed from the heyday of German thrash, the legendary country continues to pump out young denim jacket-clad thrashers with incredible ease. The next such example is Mynded, a 4-piece group formed a few years ago. “Dead End Paradise” is their first full-length record, and comes on the heels of an EP released in early 2013. This album has everything a thrash fan could want: riffs that will cause permanent memory loss inside your skull, technical playing that showcases incredible talent without being overbearing, and even a few great songs. One example of where all of these elements combine is the opening track, “Kill or Be Killed” (which is far superior to the similarly named band). The song pounds along furiously, while incorporating heavier thrash breakdowns into the chorus with no difficulties.

The ability to seamlessly change the feel of a song by adjusting the drumbeats is something Mynded does quite often. In fact, the band could actually benefit from simplifying the drumming a little bit and utilizing more of the standard kick-snare-kick-snare beat that is so prevalent in thrash. This beat is obviously common on the record (after all, it is thrash), but its appearance is always welcomed. To be fair, most of your attention on this record will likely be focused on the guitars. When Mynded’s guitarists aren’t delivering serious riffage, they’re likely working in tandem to provide killer harmonies. The first time this becomes particularly noticeable is in “Humanity Faded Away”, which has a very Maiden-inspired section in the middle. As if that weren’t good enough, the band goes and does something similar on “Overthrow”, but with significantly more speed.

Being from Germany, one might expect Mynded’s vocal approach to be more on the brutal side; however, the band’s singer is a far cry from the screams of Mille or the shrieks of Schmier. Instead, he goes for a more subdued approach. On the one hand, he is by no means a virtuosic singer, and is not meant to compete with Joey Belladonna. On the other, his voice lacks the true visceral sound of the aforementioned German singers. The outcome is something that tries to be aggressive, but with an inescapable sense of melody. Though he doesn’t sound like Matt Drake (Evile) or James Hetfield, these singers would be appropriate comparisons. While his voice is good, it feels like he's on the edge of his potential without hitting it yet. The best is yet to come for Mynded's singer.

Overall, “Dead End Paradise” is an admirable effort. The band knows what they do well, and that is playing relatively fast-paced thrash metal with a few hints of melody. Mynded doesn’t experiment a lot, nor do they often leave their comfort zone, but the result is a record that is both well composed and very enjoyable. While it would be nice to see them up the intensity of the music even further, one can’t fault them for adding a bit of variety to an often one-dimensional subgenre of metal.   

Be sure to check out and like Mynded on Facebook!

Highlights

"Kill Or Be Killed"

"Humanity Faded Away"

Final Rating

3.9/5 or 78%. 

Written by Scott

Envenomed – Evil Unseen

After being independently released in 2014, Envenomed’s “Evil Unseen” is seeing a 2015 reissue by none other than the very prolific thrash label: Punishment 18 Records. This label is the most appropriate place for these Australian thrashers, as this record delivers an experience that is sure to get some heads moving. Envenomed’s brand of thrash is a little bit different from most of their peers. They look back to a simpler time when thrash was about songs, and not just speed. This means that their music can get incredibly melodic at times, both vocally and musically. Their singer has the ideal range for this style of thrash. Though he’s not a copy of someone like Joey Belladonna, he is a good approximation for talent. Envenomed’s singer can get more aggressive when he needs to, but also spends a lot of time singing in a more melodic fashion.

The band’s style of thrash is quite similar. There is no shortage of hard-hitting riffs, but they are intertwined with melodies that allow the music room to breathe. This creates for a much more balanced attack than Australian counterparts Harlott, for example (though their take on thrash is equally thrilling). Sometimes it feels just a little bit too modern, but soon enough, Envenomed brings back the riffing to remind you that this is a thrash album. It also helps that the production is on point. The guitars are meaty, and have a giant crunch, while the drums correctly manage to be the backbone of the band’s sound. This is particularly evident on "Disobeying The Beast", which features plenty of mid-paced, stompingly heavy sections.

Still, “Evil Unseen” leaves the listener wanting just a little bit more. Envenomed hits the mark so well on a song like “Will of Man”, that it makes much of the record frustrating because they fail to replicate those heights again. This style of thrash metal is very conducive to writing memorable songs, yet after quite a few listens to this album, not enough sticks. The band clearly has the talent to make their music stand out, but it’s a consistency issue. Nonetheless, “Evil Unseen” is an interesting and worthwhile listen because it’s a modern version of a once popular take on thrash metal.

Be sure to check out and like Envenomed on Facebook!

Highlight

"Will of Man"

Final Rating

3.7/5 or 74%. 

Written by Scott