Fast Forward

Simple, stripped-down, fast, heavy.

This is a blend of Swedish death metal (Entombed/Dismember, etc.) and 80's German thrash (Kreator/Destruction). Killer riffs, excellent drumming, and speed!

Song structures are simple, but aggressive. There are no progressive moments. Just straight forward riffs. Leads are hear and there, but no solos. This doesn't really hurt, because solos can sometimes disrupt the intensity, which is what this is all about.

Guitars are heavy and distorted, and they definitely have a Swedish flavor, but not quite the Sunlight sound. It’s a raw, slightly blackened sound.

Drums are tight, punchy, and give a good kick. Not too showy, but fast and aggressive. The blast beats are energetic and aggressive, but not so fast that they become stale.

Bass is there, but it blends into the guitars, and more or less follows the guitar lines. If you listen closely, it’s audible, but distorted, which gives the music a rawer, dirtier sound.

The vocals are mid range growly screams. It reminds me of early Kreator and Death vocals, but has a slightly black-metal ring to them. At times, he reminds me of Jeff Walker from Carcass. The words are delivered with an acrid conviction.

The lyrics are about metal, war, death, all the usual, but they really don’t touch on religion at all, positive or negative, which is a relief. (It’s so cliché these days)

This is simply good face-kicking death-thrash metal, perfect for fans of any of the aforementioned bands, any maybe for instance, The Crown. While there are some similarities to At the Gate’s album “Slaughter of the Soul” those similarities are more along the speed and aggression. There are times when it can get monotonous, only because it doesn’t let up, and there are no wimpy keyboards or atmospherics make the songs “unique”. Try listening to it a few songs at the time. It’s a bit more effective, this way. Remember, this album is not about being atmospheric or technical, it’s about heaviness and speed (lots of it). No more, no less. In a way, it’s almost like old style pissed-off punk. “Fast Forward” could not be a better title.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for the Swedish version of German thrash, with a pinch of black-metal, (think early Bathory, or more pissed bands, not the flowery gothic stuff) or anyone who likes simple, in-your-face, fast heavy thrash.