HELL'S THRASH HORSEMEN - review added 12th November 2010
Album Review: Going Sane (2010)
For fans of: Thrash Metal... and Russians with that Brazilian sound
The brilliantly pompous-named Hell's Thrash Horsemen - currently Alexander Ivanov on vocals, Nick Komshukov on guitar, Konstantin Rodin on bass (Gleb Mikhalchenkov on the album), and Fedor Massuev on drums - was formed in Russia in 2007. By Autumn 2008 they were creating their debut album “…Till Violence”.
2010's “Going Sane” is the follow-up to that release.
The sound is aptly described by the band's name. This is a group that plays thrash metal born straight from the bubbling fires of hell. The songs belt along at great speed, but there is still an all-conquering power to the record that'll blow you off your feet if you're not expecting it.
Good:
There's a whole load of cracking guitar riffs throughout, plus several massively heavy sections, and there's an energy and enthusiasm to the record often missing in heavier music like this. Plenty of the tracks are memorable, or at least have a catchy hook somewhere along the line. The musicianship is genuinely good, and there's a lot of skill on show throughout. These guys are going blow roofs off places live.
Not So Good:
The vocals are murky in places, and not all songs are successful as a whole. The production is, shall we say, a tad retro; characterful, but not necessarily demonstrating ample use of modern digital techniques. The jury's out on the artwork too...
The Songs:
The soloing in 'Razor's Edge' hits the spot. If all thunder sounded like 'Death Sentence', we'd enjoy lightning storms a lot more. Two-thirds of the way through 'Rifle Shots' it sounds like the world is entering a period of armageddon. In a good way. 'Abomination' takes the style of vintage Overkill and makes it even heavier. Love the rhythms and musicianship in 'True Lies'. 'Kill Fucking Bitch' is god-awful though, and should be taken outside and shot. Twice.
In Summation:
Give this album (slightly) better vocals and a million-dollar production job, and it would be world-class. As is, it's bloody entertaining and immeasurably loud, but a few notches short of greatness.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall:
Check out... The last few tracks...but not the very last one.
Track List:
01. Injection (intro)
02. Black Label
03. My Last Resort
04. Global Genocide
05. Stop The Corruption
06. Razor's Edge
07. Nuclear Attack
08. Death Sentence
09. Rifle Shots
10. Abomination
11. True Lies
12. Kill Fucking Bitch
Artist's website(s): Hell's Thrash Horsemen | MySpace
