I'm not even gonna lie, but this bestial metal thing is getting a little out of hand. About 98% of the bands sound exactly alike, as they all aim for the "War Vengeance Till Death" or "Fallen Angel of Doom" sound, which is something that just can't be replicated. There are some bands who can do it and get away with it, though, with Vomitor and Blasphemophagher being the best ones around. Of course, I wouldn't be here reviewing Terrorist's newest full-length if I thought they sucked, because they don't, and I would definitely say they're a "bestial" band, but their source of inspiration hails not from Australia or Canada, but the land of everything awesome in metal: Sweden. The music on "And Then Life Was Death" is absolute Merciless worship, and I mean that in a good way. "The Awakening" is an undeniable classic of ugly and vicious metal, and Terrorist does their best job of making music in the same vein with these nine tracks.
These guys don't fuck around and they level the listener with some awesome death/thrash riffage immediately with the opener "Sadistic Necrophile" which showcases what Terrorist is all about. The vocals are harsh growls that remind me of Howitzer from Gospel of the Horns, and they suit the punishing riffage perfectly. The riffs are all over the place throughout the album, going from razor sharp tremolo passages to blitzing thrash tracks made for wrecking necks, leaving little room for filler. The bass-work is also respectable and serves as the backbone for the unrelenting music, while the drumming is machine gun-like at times pushing these chaotic hymns to an insane rate, so if you like your music mellow and progressive, get the fuck out because Terrorist isn't having any of it. The song titles are cheesy and generic, but it doesn't matter because even with a title like "Metal Till Death," it's damn hard to not bang your head along to it, or whip out your air guitar to the awesome solos. There isn't much more to be said about "And Then Life Was Death," because it speaks in volumes for itself, and if you like one song you'll dig 'em all. This is demented and crushing music that will please fans of bands like Merciless, Possessed, (early) Sepultura, Sarcofago and the like. Falses need not entry.
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Highlights
"Bring Forth the Inverted Cross"
"Decimate the Inferior God"
"Decimate the Inferior God"
"And Then Life Was Death"
Final Rating
4.3/5 or 86%.