Open Hostility

Razor's "Open Hostility" is another very, very enjoyable record by the Canadian excellently consistent, half-underground thrashers. After "Shotgun Justice" set the bar extremely high, and it's practically impossible to repeat such an insanely aggressive, shockingly brutal record. Razor knew this, and smartly, the didn't try to do so. They decided to do something different this time, and it worked. This record is particularly amazing for the time period it came out in, this is a record that holds its own against records from even the 1980s, which shows how good this is, having been released in 1991.

The style is the same ol' thing, just the way we like it. As I mentioned in other reviews of Razor albums, these guys never ever left their original path, which makes them pretty damn honorable among bands who changed genres particularly during this time period. This is hard, heavy, crushing speed/thrash. The interesting thing that sets this record apart from the rest of the Razor records is that this one, with the theme of the record, the lyrics, the often chord-strumming riffs has a particularly audible punk/hardcore underbelly to it, which is rather refreshing to hear. It worked remarkably well with Razor's style.

The material on here is very well-designed. The record consists of an abundance of short, fast-paced songs, similarly to "Shotgun Justice" and "Violent Restitution", which is very compatible with Razor's musical identity. Some of the best heavy-hitters on here are "In Protest", "Sucker For Punishment", "Iron Legions" and "Mental Torture" also kicks a lot of ass. While the album is still very aggressive, it is certainly a more restrained, more sophisticated aggression than the type you can find on "Shotgun Justice". It is a bit less intense, a bit less brute force, but in its own way, it's just as good.

Dave Carlo's performance on the album is the main driving force behind the speed/thrash storm that goes through the speakers. His riffs on here are more punk-oriented, a bit more hardcore-like, with more strumming sections than before. Good examples of this are for example the intro of the very first song, "In Protest", and the main riff of "Cheers", the latter so much so that it might as well be called a thrash/punk song at that point. This style of riffing is very refreshing and a quite unique one at that, this is a good way to try something new as a band and not blow the entire identity and style of the name "Razor". Well done.

Bob Reid's vocals are also extremely fitting, even on "Shotgun Justice", his voice reminisced the hardcore punk genre, rather than any type of metal. Therefore, he is very much "at home" here, delivering some very, very well thought-out vocal lines and moderately aggressive verses. Additionally, Jon on bass is also doing his job magnificently, his bass lines remain very audible throughout the entirety of the album, always accompanying the riffs.

Now, there is an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed, namely the fact that there is no human drummer featured on this album. The drumming is performed by a drum machine. Dave Carlo was the one who did all the magic and created all the drum tracks for the songs. I must say, even though the percussion doesn't sound exactly like a real drummer (no drum machine ever would), what he managed to accomplish on here with that drum machine is one of the most impressive things I've ever heard in my entire life. There is literally no way to make the percussion on here any more "human" than this. There are those very intuitive fills, even the less obvious ones, like the ones during the verses of "Iron Legions". The level of detail is unbelievable, this percussion practically matches how a real drummer would think. In fact, the drumming sounds so realistic that I didn't even know it was done with a drum machine up to the middle of the second song, "Sucker For Punishment", which gives it away with that one section where only the drums are in the spotlight from about 2:50. Extremely well done, certainly BY FAR the greatest performance I've ever heard from anyone that used a drum machine.

"Open Hostility" is an excellent listen overall, and one that definitely deserves more mentions among the best 90s thrash records. It's heavy, rebellious, fast, and it even pulls off an excellent use case of drum machines. Now sure, this may not be as amazing and unbelievably crushing as "Evil Invaders" or "Shotgun Justice", but it is certainly a very well-rounded, honorable effort by the Canadians in a not very easy situation, due to the missing drummer. I'd say check this out, if you like punk, thrash, or crossover. You'll not be disappointed.

Razor's last effort before folding in 1992 their 7th album Open Hostility came with one big mishap. Their drummer at the time Rob Mills could not drum on it due to injuries sustained in a car accident which left Dave Carlo programming a drum machine for this record which if you didn't know it you probably would not think it was a drum machine. This hardly affects the quality of this album as the drum machine really does sound reminiscent of Mills work on Shotgun Justice. The kick drums do sound a little clicky almost like a typewriter but this album is still one of the best Razor albums and for me the best Razor album with second frontman Bob Reid. Shotgun Justice was good but it seemed like the band were just out to make the fastest record they could which is not always the best route to go it may have worked for Slayer with Reign in Blood but that wasn't the case for Razor. Open Hostility however toned down the speed a bit and added a bit more catchiness to the songs as their are some great mid tempo moments on this record as well as the faster moments.

The production/mix is pretty solid here every instrument is loud and audible and has that classic thrash production as this was still the early 90's where the modern way of recording had not crept in yet. Dave Carlo packs this album with so many great riffs though they are not very technical as Razor never came from that field of thrash these riffs still pack a vicious punch especially the opening riff in the first track "In Protest". Most of the songs here are quite short with the longest song "Sucker for Punishment" being just barely over 4 minutes and the only track to have a music video for it which featured Rob Mills on the drums ironically despite not being able to play on the album. Most of these songs are really good and well constructed even with the drum machine these songs don't feel like their forced to be written around it as they flow with it perfectly almost as good as the drum machine on King diamond's The Eye.

Lyrically this album is all over the place talking about topics such as partying, abuse from authority, reckless driving, war, drinking beer, and many funny and some serious topics. One of my favorites on this album is a track called "Bad Vibrations" about how a guy regrets throwing a party at his place which gets destroyed so the next party he goes to he sets out to wreck their place. The only track on this album I tend to skip over is the cheesy drinking song entitled "Cheers" it's the only one on here that doesn't have much going for it just kind of rides on 1 or 2 riffs throughout the track and is more setup like some dumb track Suicidal Tendencies would drool over. The only other track that is not as good as the rest is "I Disagree" that kind of drags on despite being very short in length but its not as bad as the aforementioned track but still has some cheesy lyrics. There really isn't any other problems with this record the album cover is kind of shitty not as bad as Shotgun Justice but the music makes up for it.

Overall Open Hostility is a solid release for the circumstances the band were under at the time and is easily in my top 3 records from Razor. I still think the band suffered in the vocal department after the exit of McLaren right after releasing their best work with Violent Restitution in 1988 but still Reid held his own and delivered 2 great records before the band called it quits. Open Hostility is still in my opinion one of the best metal albums to feature a drum machine Carlo definitely did a stellar job at acclimating it within the bands sound and is a testament to his ability to craft a great album. I would highly recommend this to anyone into old school metal.

I have a special service for all of you who don't want to read long reviews. To get a first impression of "Open Hostility", I would like to quote some comments that users made on YouTube. They say about the seventh full-length of the Canadian pioneers:

- Dave Carlo plays some awesome riffs on this album (written by BGB IB)
- Carlo is genius- I had all the cds and lps - fast heavy thrash with flair (Tiger Mane)
- they used a drum machine. Rob Mills was injured at the time from a car accident (09mrhardabs)
- One of my absolutely favorite Covers. (Renatus Töpke)
- Razor was one of the underdogs of metal!!! (HAHI70)

Some statements are certainly worth to be discussed. Yet the last comment is simply correct. Unfortunately, "Open Hostility" failed to improve the band's reputation. This is not to say that Razor had composed a weak album. However, the effort is not overloaded with fantastic killer tracks. Unlike the casual, exceptional cover, the songs fail to enthuse me. They don't lack of pressure, power or velocity and "In Protest", fittingly kicked off by the sound of smashing glass, marks a very strong opener in view of its brutal and dynamic riffing. But one swallow does not make a summer. The further songs form an extremely homogeneous but simultaneously monotonous record. As soon as the album has come to an end, you will hardly remember an appreciable number of riffs or lines. Pick out a single song and probably you will enjoy its riffs, but the album as a whole is levelling the individual differences between the twelve pieces. With the exception of the aforementioned opener, no song stands out. Razor are definitely angry and this state of mind prevents a more flexible approach.

Probably due to the fantastic artwork I always tried to fall in love with "Open Hostility", but this was a mission impossible. The formulaic pattern of the tracks leads to a lack of dynamism. As a result, the album wears out quickly. The performance of lead vocalist Bob Reid also gives me a hard time. In view of the permanent high-speed creed, he is not able to create a charismatic contribution to the songs. His only aim is to be able to keep up with the fast-paced drums and the restlessly firing guitars. Well, he does not fall by the wayside - but this is not enough to score with a great presentation. Mediocre is the word which describes his style of singing suitably. Unfortunately, the same goes for the drum performance. It lacks of vibrancy and special features. This does not mean that the entire production sucks. The bass guitar is not completely pushed to the margins and the overall impression of the sound reaches a solid level.

Catchiness does not belong to the highest value in terms of thrash metal, but a couple of hardly forgettable parts is always welcome. Thinking back, for example, to the choruses of their classics such as "Take This Torch" or "City of Damnation", it is noticeable that "Open Hostility" fails to deliver comparable sections. No doubt, Razor have composed 100% pure thrash and their tenacity is laudable. Anyway, the songs could have been better. Therefore, the absence of variability and catchiness as well as the relatively small number of intriguing riffs prevent a higher rating. Yet I don't want to hide the fact that some guys will disagree. A glance at YouTube and its illustrious users proves their different opinions:

- Great album ! (speedyrene from holland)
- master piece... (mohancolombia)
- killer album from razor thrash metal legends... so damm perfect... horns up my metal warriors. \m/ (Jamie Warrior Warlord McCallum)

So now it is up to you to form your own opinion.

Razor is a member of a very exclusive club; they are among a rare breed of bands who did not bottom out and suck more than a Hoover after having spent a number of years in the game. The league of legendary thrash metal bands, especially, seemed to have been contractually obliged to be agonizingly unlistenable by album number seven or so, but Razor proved to still be riding high on quality once “Open Hostility” found its way in the world. The 1991 offering holds a special place in my heart, as it was my first exposure to the world of Razor, but I’m also quite fond of it because the undisputed glory of the band remains solidified in the psychosis of awesome thrash, hard as a fucking rock.

No games are played here. What “Open Hostility” embodies is a riot of thrash, swarming the auditory space in an all-out assault. Running on the same fuel for eight years at this point, Razor has not one moment here that isn’t whiplashed in the album’s whirlwind of blazing riffs. “In Protest” and the grooves of “Sucker for Punishment” set up Razor’s tricks, which aren’t plentiful, but the lack of variety isn’t a problem. The onslaught of tremendous riffs pouring out of every orifice like an Ebola infestation is what makes “Open Hostility” a beast. Almost every guitar bit exemplifies the magic of thrash done right, cooked to kill and prone to pandemonium. The drums are programmed, often doing the same fast pattern, but the sense of a major instrument having been synthesized is nullified by a production that is otherwise organic and bloody. They sound fine to me.

“Open Hostility” also features what is my favorite performance from Bob Reid, whose acid-spewing vocals are just a giant ball of belligerence and gusto. His aggressive shouts rival the intensity of the music, and he sounds awesome adding twinges of sarcasm in “Mental Torture” and taking on the tongue-in-cheek drawbacks of social drinking on “Bad Vibrations.” No shortage of oomph appears from Reid’s politically-charged diatribes ripping into society; it’s rare to find a record where the lyrical surrounding actually adds to the experience. The anti-censorship spine of “In Protest” is musically and lyrically my favorite, the bulldozing riff at the start of the song making it probably the most likeable one on “Open Hostility.” That sequence, folks, knows how to get the blood pumping.

A portion of the nut-crushing awesomeness dwindles once “Open Hostility” reaches the areas surrounding its midpoint. “Free Lunch,” “Road Gunner,” and “Psychopath” stick identically to Razor’s constant flogging, but the riffs aren’t as hooking, making the tracks a little less memorable. Calling them offensive is just downright wrong, however, as these tunes and the rest of “Open Hostility” prove Razor could have its way with the contemporary works of Exodus, Slayer, and other legendary thrash bands who couldn’t write a decent album late in the game to save their skins. Razor, on the other hand, released excellent record after excellent record without a glitch. Their last effort, “Decibels,” was fine, but “Open Hostility” marks the last piece of stellar thrash from this group that is absolutely mandatory.

This review was written for: www.Thrashpit.com

Poor Razor. After the semi-disappointing "Shotgun Justice", they were in a rough spot. Dave Carlo attempted to get this album, "Open Hostility", off the ground with very little of a budget and no drummer, not to mention a new bassist joining the ranks. With everything against them, would they pull another "Shotgun Justice", or actually dish out something great? I can happily confirm the latter, as "Open Hostility" in my opinion ranks as one of Razor's best.

For once the production on a Razor album doesn't suck (audience claps wildly); in fact here the production is quite loud and clear, if not a bit mechanical and processed. Bob Reid's vox, while mixed a bit loudly over the guitar work, are a treat; he still utilizes his gargling rasps and yells but to a greater effect on here, and with much more enthusiasm. Dave Carlo's riffing and ferocious solos are back in solid form; in fact I think lets loose some of his best work on this album by far. Meanwhile the bass of new guy Joe Armstrong is nothing very special; it's not very loud in the mix and even when heard tends to just go along with the guitar. The drum work is a drum machine. Apparently, the current drummer of Razor Rob Mills had been injured in a car accident at the time, so naturally he couldn't perform. Dave Carlo at short notice snagged up a drum machine and programmed it to match Mills' skills. Even though the drum machine enhances the artificial feel of the album, it's definitely not one of the worst-sounding drum machines I ever heard and often feels quite natural along with the rest of the music.

Unlike even on greats like "Violent Restitution" or "Evil Invaders" where there's a pocketful of songs I don't care for, "Open Hostility" presents 12 tracks of perfectly killer thrash metal glory. Not only that I love the lyrics to pieces on this album, continuing the semi-socially relevant content of the last album, presented in a sarcastic light. Censorship? Check. Police Brutality? Check. Moochers? Check. Dead-end factory jobs? Check. Drunken slobs? Check. I hate all these things too! Rock on Razor, rock the fuck on!
The album initiates on a wicked start with one of my favorite Razor songs, "In Protest", if only for it's highly memorable intro riff alone. Fear "In Protest's" opening riff, OBEY "In Protest's" opening riff!!! Pure fucking thrash! The rest of the album never stops with the memorable riffs and pissed-off vocals. "Sucker For Punishment" swipes poseur bitches out of the way with its catchy speed-thrash riffage and a wicked breakdown riff. The police brutality-themed "Mental Torture" comes equipped with one of the albums' more memorable choruses and a sweet stuttering verse riff. Shorter, punchier killers like the fun "Cheers" and the pissed-off "Free Lunch" come to mind for their spirited, brutal head-on attitude. "End of the War" makes for a solid closer, it's interesting tale of pro-war vs against-war still resounding, especially mixed with Reid's highly aggressive shouting and Carlo's high-octane, semi-melodic guitar assault.

Overall, despite the processed production and drum machine, this albums kicks quite a lot of ass. I think it's really underrated frankly. Bob Reid's vocals shine, as do Dave Carlos newly vigorous and memorable riff attacks. Whether it be safe at home or during a massive riot, it is very worth tracking down "Open Hostility". Crank it to 11 and let the anarchy begin!

Though it's heavily front-loaded with all the best riffs and most exciting songs, Open Hostility is the best Razor album yet to feature Bob Reid on vocals, gelling for me more than Shotgun Justice did the year prior. In fact, in terms of sheer threat level and fun, I'd put the first four songs here in the ring with just about anything in the Canadians' mustered from 1986 on, including much of Violent Restitution. Unfortunately, there are a few flaws to this album which precluded it from ranking among their best works, not the least of which is the use of the drum machine. I don't often find this to be a problem with extreme metal recordings, where the emphasis is placed more on guitars or atmosphere, but for a thrash metal record in the 80s and 90s, it's tough love.

Perhaps I should qualify that it's not Dave Carlo's 'programming' of the drums here that often removes me from the experience, but their production. There's a particular, mechanical snap to the beats that just feels less authentic and organic than their older albums, and while I can respect the decision by any band to save itself some grief and run with computerized percussion, it still has to sound correct in context. Through Open Hostility, it's a fairly evident distraction, considering that so few bands of this type had ever really attempted it before. Beyond that, the rest of the album's mix also has a few problems, like the vocals being a fraction too low, their range forcing them to cling to the guitars a little more than I like. Considering the sheer grit and hostility inherent to Reid's delivery, I wish they had stood out just a level or so more, that I could soak in the violent subtleties being pitched around with the zany, angry lyrics, which are your typical Razor rallies against social injustice and a corrupt State. The guitars, while powerful, seem a little too arid, and though the bass is fluid, it too often gets lost among the considerable array of riffs Carlo is inundating the listener with.

Otherwise, Open Hostility is raucous and entertaining enough that it doesn't piss all over the Canadians' legacy, and in particular the first 15 minutes are barbaric and steadily engaging, with riffs that make you wanna don a hockey mask and stick and just club the fuck out of everyone in the pit. "In Protest", "Sucker for Punishment" and "Bad Vibrations" are all proof that Razor was running contrary to most of the sad thrashers evolving through the 90s. Rather than succumbing to some tepid groove modernization and catering to the 'alternative' crowd, these guys were becoming even more vicious, expletive jock thrash with lyrical ambitions that any street tough or frat boy could understand. Seriously, this isn't The Black Album or any other kowtowing downgrade to the faceless radio masses in a misguided attempt to remain 'relevant'. This is a fucking riot waiting to happen. Broken glass, screaming women in the streets shielding baby carriages, and Robocop-like law enforcement attempting to suppress the ensuing anarchy. Perhaps to some extent, Razor was such a small blip on the radar that they didn't feel selling out would matter, but I wish more of the mainliners in the speed/thrash field would have had the balls to follow this course.

If you can stomach the drums, and you're a connoisseur for street fighting of this magnitude, this is probably worth the effort to track drown. Carlo is still fast as fuck, even if a lot of the rhythms seem lifted and shifted around from their original patterns on Violent Restitution and Shotgun Justice. The further down the track list you go, the less impressive the riffs become, and the more redundant Reid's gravelly expressions, but in all seriousness, it's the last Razor record in over 20 years now which successfully delivered a bruising you might remember.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

I knew this album for a long time, but somehow I didn't pay any attention to it. After I already listened to all Razor albums, this one here was left not interrogated by me. I said to myself that maybe it will be a good album, though I never was sure with a drum machine. Then I discovered that this is one of those albums that, for unknown reasons, is forgotten and criminally underrated. This is one of the best albums that thrash metal ever dished out. It's a combination of brutal force and Dave's riffs that require no explanation. Moreover, Dave was working under high pressure which further shows his talent and experience. As we know, the drummer was not able to play and he felt the lack of money, too.

Until recently, I believed that a drum machine is bad, however after listening to this masterpiece I realized that when used well, it can increase the brutality and emphasize the message of what this album brings, especially if, as in this case, it has anti-political and social criticism overtones. The drum machine used here does not drown out everything; it doesn’t drowns out the guitar tone as it sounds very clear. The production is cool and the sharp sound fits perfectly here as it’s filled with hate, anger, and speed. This stuff easily beats Shotgun Justice, and thus, this is their best album ever. Of course, almost nobody is aware of its existence. However, what surprised me most is that this stuff has no weak songs, which rarely happens.

The best song here, Sucker For Punishment, ideally shows the meaning of the album both musically and lyrically. In my opinion, the main assumption was to create an album that will be fast, straight-forward, and contains riffs that makes it more melodic, but above all, as I mentioned, it was supposed to be rebellious as evidenced by the song In Protest, the opening track.

Without a doubt, this album is phenomenal and just waits to be discovered, so I hope that you are surely encouraged to listen and when you don't want to do it, "you're just a sucker". Cheers!

When Dave Carlo put this album together, not only was he under intense financial pressure, but he was also without a drummer. A fact that very few people know is that during the writting of this album...incredible Razor drummer Rob Mills was injured in a car accident and was unable to properly play drums for awhile. What you are hearing on this album is a.......Drum Machine. Yes this is a fact...I know that the Sucker for Punishment video features Rob on the drums...but like I said he was still in the band...simply unable to perform to his standard level of expertise. So Mr. Carlo took it upon himself to find a drum machine and attempt to program the songs in a way so that when Rob fully recovered he'd be able to play the songs accurately and accordingly.
What we have here is simply the BEST Razor album of all time. The production on this cheaply financed independant offering...is awesome. Dave really struck gold when he replaced former punk style singer Stace "Sheepdog" McLaren with current vocalist Bob Reid from London Ontario's infamous SFH. Bob's Vocals are relentless on this album...and a far better production than Shotgun Justice really allows the listener to appreciate his powerfull throating ability on this album. Filled with anti-societal overtones, sarcasm, and tongue-in-cheek humor...this album is a real hoot for the listener...but its still very intense and the music doesn't stop until the very end....Weak tracks on this album.....NONE!
The only thing that would send this album over the top and give it 100% would've been better guitar solos...but aside from that the riffs are worth about 110%.KILLER CANADIAN THRASH METAL CLASSIC