Revenge - Scum. Collapse. Eradication

On first listen (especially if you're ears aren't hardened for this sort of bestial music), ''Scum. Collapse. Eradication.'' sounds like noise. No surprise there, though, as I'll gladly welcome another slab of disgusting, noisy and utterly chaotic blackened death metal with open hands. Surely, the number of bands who try the same abhorrent formula of pulverizing complexity and brain-harassing chaos has increased rapidly over the years, resulting in a conflict between bands who all try to achieve relentless brutality, adamant evil, and with so many poor bands colliding, the scene has been re-shaped thus many have forgotten the true leaders of the pack. Revenge come with a grindcore soaked lump of chopping blackened death metal that should make a few bend the knee.

First impressions can be abusing, and faulting, and if you're going to omit the entire catalogue with your verdict for just one riff, then you get the hell out and try something softer for your ears. Revenge bring sublime ferocity and darkened complexity to their heavily blanketed textures of gritty, cantankerous black metal, with even some old school grindcore flurry added, and with other grinding instruments involved, I doubt anyone would come out of this with at least some pain in their ears. And that's for the tougher ones, I'm afraid. So lots of melody freaks and going to suffer from sore and bleeding ears.

I'm you're a little more patient though, you're guaranteed to be rewarded handsomely for your waiting. Revenge stick to the same formula that they've always went along with, so I don't think many will be bewildered by the music here, though I especially like the execution, making the album even more crazed and crushing than it ought to be, which is great. The riffs come out of nowhere and the tempo tends to twist and churn a lot, so there you have it; a menacing black/death formula that eagerly follows and consumes, butchers and distorts and brings intricate vehemency upon the battlefield. As you ears get more used to the raw mix, you'll find that the album bares a crunchy thrash crust, and the grind drenched riffs will begin to sound more appealing with that destructive blackened punk attitude sprayed all over it. Revenge fashion the frantic face of death metal more than the chaotic arrow fire of black metal, so they do have some diversity compared to other war metal bands.

Another alluring fact; the instruments don't drown each other. They don't shun or outshine each other either, so we've got guitars, drums and vocals anchoring to balance each other throughout the whole album, and the balance is truly maintained well even though the stubborn rigidity of the music feels as if the album was trimmed with tiny break segments dividing it.  The vocals are another frantic addition to the already merciless orchestra, just like sporadic leads fragmented across the album, often switching into dog like barks and rather unpleasant exhalations instead of raspier, throaty gutturals. Put all of these together, and BAM; you have furious chainsaw guitar forays with dogs barking over it. Revenge once again show that war metal is not for softies and it's a genre that's furious, relentless, raw and crusty, so poseurs should keep out of Revenge's territory. Seriously, this beast is hostile.

Highlights:
Banner Degradation (Exile In Death)
Pride Ruination (Division Collapse)
Retaliation (Fallout Prayer)


Rating: 84%