XENTRIX

"bury the pain"
Year:  2019
Label:  Listenable
Format:  CD
Tracks:  10
Time:  50 min.
Lyrical themes:  social issues, politics
Genre:  rock
Style:        Thrash Metal







  Discogs  ,  Download














































"for whose advantage"
Year:  1990
Label:  Roadrunner
Format:  CD, LP
Tracks:  9
Time:  45 min
Lyrical themes:  social issues, politics
Genre:  rock
Style:        Thrash Metal

The band's second full length is an excellent example of how UK thrash bands were on top of their game in the late 80's/early 90's (reanimator, acid reign, etc.). Although it isn't as fast paced as the previous release, this still has many strong points. Sounding somewhat like label mates Annihilator at the time, these guys delivered no joke, hands down thrash metal with lots of attitude. Vocalist/guitarist Chris Astley has one of the coolest gruff sounding voices I've ever heard, perhaps souding like cross between voivod's snake a little without the accent, and pete steel when he was in carnivore but that's kinda off because Astley is pretty damn original, and Kristian Harvard is a phenomenal lead guitarist. Dennis Gasser is too fast on drums, and Paul Mackenzie backs em up with strong bass riffing. One might say this particular album sounds somewhat like the aforementioned Annihilator, metallica, acid reign and late eighties megadeth a little, riff-wise only. Stand out songs would include 'for whose advantage', for the cool bass intro, 'the bitter end' for all the nicely executed change ups, and 'black embrace' for the pure energy it gives off. Plenty of non-stop fast paced riffs and drumming on these ones, but there's absolutely no room for fillers here though, just quality music through and through. My only reason for 97 instead of 100 is that it' so good it needed just one more song! 97/100 ( *review by Wiplash 50 ).

  Discogs  ,  Lastfm  ,  Download  ,  Wikipedia  ,  Web  ,  Facebook  ,  Myspace 

GROINCHURN

"Whoami"

Year:  2000

Country:  South Africa
City:  Johanesbourg

Label:  Morbid rec.

Format:  CD

Tracks:  13

Time:  30 min.
Lyrical themes:  social issues

Genre:  rock

Style:     Grindcore

4th album of this south african grindcore three-piece from the Vaal Triangle (south of Johannesburg), formed in 1993. Their first demos were released in 1994, with things looking promising thanks to a run of split singles, compilation appearances, and overseas performances. After a troublesome attempted relocation to Europe, the band returned home. Musically the band plays and excellent, technical and good-produced grindcore in the vein of the mince-core bands as Agathocles, Brutal Truth, Benümb, Fear Of God, Assück, Rot, etc.... but Groinchurn has its original and personal style with a "modern" sound production and a little influences of the called new-school hardcore bands from the USA such as: Snapcase, Earth Crisis, Quicksand, Indecision or Helmet. Is not also a lineal and static grindcore music but there are a lot of changes of velocity, intensity, types of distortion and kind of voice. Its sound is hard and powerful but not excessifly noise but quite clear and "clean". Christo Bester (bass and vocals) has recently gone on to form a b-side project grindcore band by the name of INSEK. It seem the south-african legend continues...

 Discogs   ,   Lastfm   ,   Bandcamp   ,   Myspace   ,   Facebook   

EVILDEAD

"the underworld"
Year:  1990
Country:  US
City:  Los Angeles
Label:  Steamhammer
Format:  CD, LP
Tracks:  11
Time:  43 min.
Lyrical themes:  social issues, politics
Genre:  rock
Style:        Thrash Metal

Evildead is an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed around December 1986. It was originally conceived as a side-project of guitarist Juan Garcia and bassist Mel Sanchez, but became their main band after their respective bands Agent Steel and Abattoir broke up. They were soon joined by three of the other former members of Abattoir: Phil Flores on vocals, Marc Caro on guitar and Rob Alaniz on drums, although Caro was replaced shortly by Albert Gonzales. Since then, they have experienced a number of lineup changes, leaving Garcia as the only remaining original member left.

During its nine-year existence, Evildead released only two full-length studio albums, one live album, and two self-released demos "The Awakening" and "Terror", released in 1987 and 1994 respectively. After their split with Steamhammer, as well as failed attempts to sign to another record label and record what would have been their third album, the band broke up in 1995. However, in 2008, Evildead reunited and had performed live on several occasions since then. They had also restarted work on a new album, and released their first song in 20 years, "Blasphemy Divine", on their SoundCloud page in 2011. However, Evildead announced their second breakup in October 2012, once again leaving their third album unreleased. A second reunion of Evildead was announced in 2016 and the band touring and working until nowadays.

  Discogs  ,  Lastfm  ,  Download  ,  Wikipedia ,  Facebook ,  Soundcloud  ,  Myspace