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Massacre: Back from beyond

21/03/14 || Ironpants

“To infinity…and beyond”

If you have never heard of Massacre, you are most probably under 20 years old or suffering from Alzheimer’s disease? These guys, or at least 50% of ´em in this setup, are legendary and their “From beyond” album was one of my most played albums back in the day. Now they are back…from beyond, for another try to conquer my black heart once again. Well, I was skeptic towards the idea when I first heard about it, and when they released “Condemned to the shadows” I was even more of a skeptic. A new Massacre album felt as useful as an ejector seat in a helicopter.

But back in my head there was this thought that kept swirling around, “Maybe it’s going to kick my ass to beyond and back?” , and you know that hope is the last thing that dies in a man, right? So, secretly I have been waiting and hoping for this album to come out. My death metal heart doesn’t really need that much when it gets down to business.

After that obligatory intro, the album sets pace with “As we wait to die” which is exactly that kind of song I was expecting, the original “simple” riffing from Mr. Rozz and that oh so well known drive from US death metal anno the 1990’s. And, yeah fine, nothing new in the house of Massacre, you feel like meeting an old friend after 20 years and you pick up exactly where you left off. As a matter of fact, all the songs follow that formula. And that makes me sad and happy at the same time.

There are a few factors that separates this second album (don’t you dare mentioning the album “Promise”!) from their first release. There is no Kam Lee of course, one of the main ingredients when thinking of Massacre, but the “new” singer Ed Webber does his best in filling the album with his gruesome voice. He is actually a kick-ass singer, with a good depth and still articulate and also varying his voice pretty much. I can’t really slag him off, ‘cause it isn’t the easiest job taking over after Kam Lee.

Another factor is the highlighting of Terry Butlers bass, which is very present and up in the mix, and it complements Rozz’s guitar perfectly. And for the first time we can listen to Massacre with a tight drummer, that’s a fresh take for sure. Mr. Mazzonetto pounds away behind the old pots and pans, providing solid old US death metal beats. What’s up with the ZZ’s in the surnames by the way? Rozz and Mazzonetto? If I were them, I would force the other dudes changing their names to Tezzy Butler and Edwin Wezz. MaZZacre: Back from La Grange featuring a cover of “Sharp dressed man”.

I could namedrop a few more titles on this album, but there’s no need, because all of them are equally good or bad, depending on your mindset regarding Massacre coming back to life. I can’t say that I don’t like the album, ‘cause I do, but I can’t let that nagging feeling go away – “Shouldn’t they have come up with something more than this after 20 years?” But still, in the end of the day, this is a solid as it gets, it’s fucken death metal, the kind of death metal that has set the foundation of who I am today.

Information
Released: 2014
Label: Century Media
Website: Massacre Facebook
Band
Edwin Webb: vocals
Rick Rozz: guitars
Terry Butler: bass
Mike Mazzonetto: drums

Tracklist
01. The ancient ones
02. As we wait to die
03. Ascension of the diseased
04. Hunter’s blood
05. Darkness fell
06. False revelation
07. Succumb to rapture
08. Remnants of hatred
09. Shield of the son
10. The evil within
11. Sands of time
12. Beast of vengeance
13. Back from beyond
14. Honor the fallen

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