Satanic Bloodspraying - At The Mercy Of Satan

Bolivian black/thrash group Satanic Bloodspraying have been signed to Hells Headbangers Records to offer invidious ferocity and demented aggression packed in a brief case of twenty five minutes, spurting out venomous black/thrash mayhem with little hesitation. This primitive incursion will surely gather some eager black/thrash fan boys, but when it comes to judging the music itself, unfortunately, ''At The Mercy Of Satan'' leaves a tiny mark of the listener's ear and it's wholly futile in originality, making it derivative and less abundant in surprises. It's obvious that these vandals have omitted the presence of intricacy from their raw compositions and one-dimensional style of song writing, but for what it's worth, ''At The Mercy Of Satan'' makes an irresistible headbang feast for all those who enjoy fast, vicious and plain music that's driven towards the edge of extremity.

Although it's relatively short in length, not all of the songs and riffs manage to capture the frantic vivacity of typical black/thrash bands. The album has moments where mid-paced, almost doomy black metal sequences flow bleakly, so I'm afraid even the whole formula of blind savagery isn't perfected, leaving out a good number of flaws in the album. For some reason, Satanic Bloodspraying have been related to Impaled Nazarene, and I can see that's no false accusation, though several other influences are undoubtedly present, most likely early black metal aspects and even some classic black/thrashing a la Destroyer 666, Usurper and Nifelheim. Sure, influences are aplenty, but when the richness of the music is considered, you'll easily notice how bluntly sophisticated this album is, and many good elements are excluded from the mixture, leaving what we have here. I like the grinding edge of the volatile guitars, colliding and mingling with each other often and even more the raw rasps which come alongside the frantic riffs to increase the energy.

Despite it's lack of prowess and arduous riffs, ''At The Mercy Of Satan'' has some variation left in it, all fractured fragments of typical black and thrash metal traits spread sporadically across the crashing riffs. The first track ''Draining Blood'' should sink its hooks into any black/thrash fan just as it captivated me, an almost blackened grindcore type of song, repeatedly crashing and battering for a minute and fifty seconds. With a first impression like that, I found it hard to admit that the other tracks (expect a few) were relatively much less efficient and alluring, so be warned, the first spurt might fool you. ''Satanic Skullfuck'' starts pretty much where the previous one left, with similar propulsive, gritty riffs and simplistic textures, and the current doesn't deviate until ''March Of The Dead'', a more atmospheric affair, garnishing itself with second wave black metal elements, and giving a break to the whole aggressive formula. I didn't find ''At The Mercy Of Satan'' irritating, though boredom will come, even though it may not come very frequently. A good effort for a debut, and I hope the next strike will sink lower than before.

Highlights:
At The Mercy Of Satan
Satanic Skullfuck
Draining Blood


Rating: 75%