Shortly after death metal first arrived on the scene in the
late 80’s and early 90’s, something very strange happened to thrash. A select
number of bands set out to prove that thrash was, and will always be the most
brutal genre of metal. As far as I’m concerned, Demolition Hammer and Solstice
(US) among others have set the bar for sheer intensity. Both bands literally
sound like they have a hammer in hand ready to fracture your skull. Many of the
thrash bands of recent years have abandoned this approach, but luckily,
Unspeakable Axe Record’s newest band, Besieged, are here to continue making
this great style of thrash!
Over the course of 31 minutes, the speed on “Victims Beyond
All Help” rarely lets up. The breakneck tempos are emphasized by the relentless
punk drum beats and shouting vocals. Vocalist Nolan Smit sounds like he is
tearing apart his vocal chords as he barks an insane amount of words at you. While
he is doing this, he is also playing some of the fastest riffs in existence,
alternating between tremolo-picking riffs, and more traditional thrash riffs. Perhaps
even more impressive is the vicious drumming. As mentioned, it is the
punk/thrash beats that are in use here, meaning that blastbeats are not a
constant. Even the double bass is used pretty sparingly for a modern thrash
record. It isn’t so much the type of drumming that makes the rhythm work
intense, but rather, the sheer speed and ferocity of it. There are only 7 songs
on “Victims Beyond All Help”, but they go by in a blur. Seriously, when this album finishes, you are left thinking: "what just happened?"; however, with erratic solos and
endless riffage, there is always something going on to keep your attention.
With that said, it does make it a bit hard to follow along sometimes, but that
just means it takes a few more listens to really understand the song
structures. Even at the moment, I can’t confess to knowing exactly what’s going
on throughout this record; I just know that it is a rhythm attack unlike no
other at the moment.
Besieged have done something that few, if any, of their
peers have managed: to create a record so brutal that it is on par with
Demolition Hammer. I always considered Laceration (US) to have been the closest
anybody has come in recent years, but Besieged have managed to surpass them in
sheer ripping thrash madness!
Highlights
"Internal Suffering"
"Death"
Final Rating
4.3/5 or 86%.