Deletion of Humanoise

Japan has always excelled in the metal realm, with a handful of bands in each category, but pure thrash/speed metal from that territory has been sparse. Bands like Gargoyle and Doom fused thrash metal with a myriad of other influences, where Sabbat, Sigh and Abigail practice a more blackened hybrid. Perhaps the only consistent artist outputting pure thrash of quality would be Ritual Carnage, but there have been a few more to rear their heads across the years. King's-Evil certainly qualify for this category. Formed in 1989, the band's recorded output has been incredibly...uncommon. Deletion of Humanoise is their only album in 20 years, but I'm willing to bet this time frame includes massive periods of inactivity for the project.

If King's-Evil shares the same all-out-assault-on-the-senses aesthetic as Ritual Carnage, then it is no surprise that the two shared a pair of guitarists, Wataru and Masamichi Yamada. This is bludgeoning, fast paced material from which the starting point is earlier Kreator, tempered in a blinding melodic death. This was no band to dwell in the 80s, their energy and style could have easily appealed to fans of the explosive Swedish bands that dominated popular metal in the late 90s until the present. Yet Deletion of Humanoise still maintains a raw polish to the guitar tones which will have the old schoolers thrashing until their sweat paints the faces of every onlooker. Wataru's vocals have the same consternation as Mille Petrozza, and the drums are rarely not going off.

On the subject of going off, "Victim of Hate" fires off the race with a slew of winding, technical thrash melodies not unlike a Mortal Sin on steroids, the track rocking along with a furious gait that does not let up, fist after fist knocking you on the jaw. "Detonation" is much the same pace, with a more choppy verse riff and some sweet bridge rhythms and molten chugging below Wataru's yeti fucking howls. "Web of Lies" opens with an incredible brick flow of unbreakable thrashing, then moves into a speed similar to the first two tracks, though the guitars stick to you like wet concrete. "Fanatical Devotion" shifts from a steady bass hammer to some almost power metal picking and killer, burning lead, with Wataru's vocals on fire. Later, the band breaks into a very streetcore-thrash rhythm which is the perfect soundtrack to any downtown brawl.

Mad faith maniac
Over the grasp
Getting around in the darkness
No eyes
No thoughts
Showing ass in my field
Mastery offering me a light!

"False Pride" has a set of grooving, Slayer rhythms which coil about you in serpentine sensuality while simultaneously puncturing their fangs through your throat, and a nice, churning simplicity to the bridge riff that later explodes into the lead. "Punish With Death" packs in yet another intense reptilian groove, but at :50 it becomes this mesmerizing flux of Artillery and Kreator, sure to break your neck in the process of your enjoyment. "Core Dead" is perhaps my least favorite track on the album, but still has the band's sledgehammer precision, and the finale "Scream" compensates with a nigh endless stream of car crashing virility, the fastest and most relentless track on the album, with a climax bordering on frenzy.

Naturally, I'm a pretty big fan of this album, and am quietly crossing my fingers that the band can produce more. This is basically an extension of Ritual Carnage. If you like one, you will like the other. But unlike Danny Carnage's more recent vocal shift, Wataru keeps it lethal and venomous throughout all of Deletion. There are a few tracks which seem to follow the same pace, and it does make the former half of the album slightly repetitious. I also didn't care so much for "Core Dead" after the opening rhythm. The sound is explosive without any excess production, and the musicianship dead on. As a pundit for almost all things Japanese, and your metal attorney, I advise that you seek this out and secure a neck brace.

Highlights: Detonation, Web of Lies, Punish With Death, Scream

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

King's-Evil's Deletion of Humanoise is one of those cd's that I heard of and kept putting off buying. I finally bought it on a whim one day and promptly kicked myself for not buying it sooner. This is seriously one relentlessly pissed off thrash cd. I would have never expected this kind of anger from the normally oh-so-polite Japanese.


This cd begins with no intro whatsoever. It just dives right into some meaty thrash riffage. Soon after you get the first taste of the vocals. These are evil and malicious black/death vocals reminiscent of Morbid Saint. The drumming is fast, aggressive and more than able to keep up with the quick, heavy riffing. The production seems a bit more modern, but don't let this turn you off. It works well for this cd. All musicians in King's-Evil are proficient with their instruments and seem to work well together. The lyrics definitely fit the music. They talk about killing, torture and other generally evil topics. Sometimes their english is a little flawed, but you always get what they are trying to say.

With song names like "Victim and Hate", "Detonation", and "Punish With Death", you better expect some anger and this cd definitely delivers. Every song is of the same high quality, so it is hard to find any highlights. This is almost a weakness as it is kind of hard to differentiate between the songs. It doesn't matter much to me though. Deletion of Humanoise is just one of those cd's that you pop in when you are pissed off and/or simply want to headbang. It's not meant to be an art form (though to any metalhead, it's a masterpiece). You don't listen to it for it's technical proficiency or to praise its innovation. It simply kicks ass

As the title of my review says, this is one relentless damn cd. That's the only way to describe the intensity. It never lets up, takes no prisoners, and decimates all in its path. It shouldn't be all that hard to find online. I've seen it for as cheap as $7.99 new, so you're stupid as hell not to buy it. I'd recommend this cd to all thrash fans and even to open minded black or death metal fans.

It is sad to me that Deletion of Humanoise is one of the best thrash albums I have ever heard in my entire life as a headbanger but likely I will never be able to converse about it with fellow metalheads, simply because no one will have heard it.

That having been said, I cannot say enough good things about this album, everything is solid and then some, an amazing testimony to the craft of these crazy Japanese metal enthusiasts. They cite their influences as Metallica, Kreator, Slayer and other greats, and I would list them at a level at LEAST equal to their idols, right up there in my mind with Pleasure to Kill, Reign in Blood, and Darkness Descends.
The vocals are remniscent of earlier Kreator - fast paced pseudo-death metal, mid-ranged, with occasional deeper backing vocals used to great effect. I especially love how they are used on the last track "Scream", the guitar breaks accentuate them perfectly, giving a most excellent headbaning oppurtunity.
Lyrically the album is fairly typical for a thrash album of this nature, being primarily concerned with death and pain and insanity and what not. However I will note it is obvious that the band has not mastered the use of English grammar, leading to some funny moments like:

"Liar the word that fits
Treachery is only a friend
Who said I feel fine?"

No I don't get it either, but you can't really tell when its being sung anyway. The actual instrumentation is well done, not mindblowing but very competent. The songwriting is what really sticks, how the pieces are arranged, the guitar breaks, placement of drum rolls, things like that.
All the songs are well constructed headbanging, with my favorite cuts including "Fanatical Devotion", "Punish with Death", and "Scream"
My biggest complaint is that during Fanatical Devotion is always sounds like my phone is ringing for some reason....
If you see this album for sale, you WILL buy it, or I will hunt you down and slap the bejeezus out of you. Dammit.