The Day of the Beast

This is the first full-length album from The Day Of The Beast, an American band playing black/thrash metal.

The high, ripping guitars and out-of-control snarled vocals here are the perfect medium for a thrash album, but the bass is surprisingly audible as well. The drums sound a bit thin, though; I think the whole thing could have used just a little more low-end.

This is a nice, solid slab of Satanic thrash metal -- nothing groundbreaking, but the songs are ripping-fast and catchy, and call to mind everything from classic German thrash to crunch-laden death metal. The vocals are especially noteworthy, delivered with plenty of venom and ferocity. To me, they seem squarely in the tradition of Kreator, but the vocal delivery reminds me of the Canadian Slaughter now and again, also!

I like the many changes in speed and pitch; many of these songs aren't quite full-speed ahead, which just makes it all the more powerful when they are! In general, I was impressed by the quality and variety of the songwriting here. These songs seem short and to-the-point, but there's a lot going on as well, from bass solos to clever tempo changes and breaks.

If you need a break from the usual one-note thrash bands, you can't go wrong with this one -- it's just the antidote you need. Recommended.

Standout tracks: "Harvest of the Heretic", "He Who Shuns The Light", "Crawling Chaos"

Review by vorfeed: http://www.vorfeed.net

Usually in a review I like to compare the band I’m reviewing to another more famous band so that someone who hasn’t heard the band knows a general idea of what that band sounds like. Day of the Beast is different. Some have said they sound Kreator and others say Exodus, and while those aren’t bad bands to be compared to, I just can’t agree. Day of the Beast sounds like something I have NEVER heard before. Seriously.

From the opening note of this album, to the closing note this album is an onslaught of thrashing awesomeness. I know that’s the kind of thing a 12 year old describes “Kill ‘Em All” like, but It’s the best way I can describe the intensity of this album. There is never a dull moment on this album. The momentum started from the beginning of this album never lets up. Overall, I would have to say my favorite songs are “the Crawling Chaos”, “De Vermis Mysteriis” and “Beyond Choronzon”. I have no idea why these songs stood out to me, but they did and that’s all that matters.

One thing I noticed from the start is that it sounds like the band had fun making this. Everyone seems really into it. Besides sounding like it was fun to make, everyone is more than proficient with their respective instrument. The vocals are fantastic, screeching and demonic, as if coming from the angel of death himself. If you like evil sounding vocals, you’ll like Day of the Beast’s. The duel attack of the guitars is freakishly awesome. Seriously they are probably the highlight of the album. The drums and bass are solid and each have their own times to shine.

As said, there are a few bands that Day of the Beast has been compared to, but honestly there is no comparison for this band. However, if you like good metal in general, you will give Day of the Beast a shot. I know I did, and I don’t regret it.