Enjoy the Violence

It was hard for me to decide which Massacra album to review first since I absolutely love the first three albums (Final Holocaust, Enjoy The Violence and Signs Of The Decline) so much. I chose this one since I have listened to it the most. Either way the other two deserve as much praise but for another time. I got into this band by a couple of reviews from here on metal archives and on anus.com/metal just giving these guys all sorts of praise.

I'm not much of a death metal guy but I do enjoy the good and prolific bands of the late 80's, early 90's like; Death, Possessed, Morbid Angel, Deicide, Entombed and Suffocation. I didn't know a thing about these guys so I was wary even with the good reviews. It warranted at least a download to hear them out without blowing my cash. Man, how these went through history without much notice or word of mouth just completely baffles me. The music is dominated by heavy rhythms, alot of riffs (some thrashy), excellent drumming and awesome death metal vocals. They fit the perfect description of a true death/thrash metal band. They're really a tight unit and perform so well together, they all seem to be on the same page and nothing sounds out of place with the instruments.

It's a shame that the singer died of cancer in '97. But I doubt the band could capture the magic of the early 90's like they used to and so many countless other death metal bands from that same era as well. I find it odd that they capitalized on the death/thrash metal craze of the mid 80's to early 90's, perhaps bands from france didn't get as much exposure as the US, UK or Scandinavia did. I would put 'Enjoy The Violence' amongst the top 20 all time death metal albums, ever. Get this album any way you can, its as good as death metal gets.

1991's follow-up to the band's full-length debut "Final Holocaust", is an unrelenting death-thrash metal masterpiece. The music is raw, and brutal, yet it retains a certain haunting beauty, that makes this album seem well ahead of it's time.

"Enjoy the Violence" is an all out riff-o-rama, full of blazing solos, and complex structures. Massacra uses a great blend of intricate, classical structures, as well as a style of early death metal, which was still bordering on the line of thrash.

The vocals are quite brutal, almost "feral" in a way, and may be a bit to swallow if you are new to death metal. Still, the irate vocals fit the music perfectly, and combined with the lyrical theme of "violence" throughout the album, and the harsh rhythm section, the music flows perfectly, giving the listener little time to worry about what the vocals sound like. When you listen to this album, you can hear the band members going for a ride, and they have no restraints about taking you with them. Through the dozens upon dozens of riffs you will hear in this album, none of them will let up. They each give their own vibe to the music, which very much fit the violent theme of "Enjoy the Violence".

The drumming flows smoothly from start to end, offering up fast double-bass, as well as solid drum fills. Though this is certainly not the best attribute of the band's music, the drumming is executed well enough, and does not disappoint.

From the opening, title track, the music puts you in a headlock, and does not let go. Many death metal bands were making brutal, relentless music during the time, but few did it like Massacra. This album is absolutely no exception, and is possibly the best offering the band has. Through all the great death and thrash metal bands that have come and gone since this release, I have yet to hear anything quite like it. If you enjoy fast, heavy riffs, eccentric vocals, and neoclassically-influenced song structures, this album is perfect for you.

Please, "Enjoy the Violence".