2006-01-16
It’s a known fact among my friends that I consider Bjorn "Speed" Strid to be one of the finest vocalists operating in extreme metal today, his work in Soilwork is nothing less than phenomenal, as is his work with Disarmonia Mundi, but just when I thought his vocal delivery cant surprise me further, out comes the third album from his thrash project, Terror 2000 and absolotuly blows me away! Of course, to give credit where credit is due, his other compatriots in the band are also giving a stellar performance, Sword, Thyselius and Ideberg (of Darkane fame) also perform with utmost zeal and professionalism, endowing this album with some of the fastest, fluid sounding modern thrash I've heard in a long time.
The main thing about this album is, the guys don’t seem to take themselves too seriously, they actually come off as a faster, tighter sounding version of SOD, with such hilarious song titles as King Kong Song and Satan's Barbecue, with the lyrics following suite into being outright mad, and Stird, on top of that, is in top form as a combination of Devin Townsend and Mike Patton with a death metal attitude, he shrieks, growls, sings and screams in what sounds like 10 different vocalists at times.
The opener, Five Star Prison is a down-to-basics thrash number, heavier than most thrash bands yet catchy and quite listenable, but it's in the second track, Metal Mosh Massacre that things really take a turn for the bizarre, thrash assault one second, and a glam metal anthem the second.
Cheap Thrills also features some colorful arrangements and vocals, with great imaginative riffs, this is Mr. Bungle doing thrash, ladies and gents
If any of this sounds like criticism, its not, this is easily one of the most entertaining albums I've listened too lately, it catches some of the more humoristic antics of 80's thrash with a 21st century aggression and sound, its nothing too complicated, just plain, simple violent fun.
Alon Miasnikov
