ALBUM REVIEW: Cabaret De La Guillotine – Angelus Apatrida
Thrash metal seems to be rumbling into a resurgence of late. Following the breakout success of POWER TRIP last year, onlookers will be licking their lips, poising themselves to capitalise on the genre’s returning popularity. Spanish thrashers ANGELUS APATRIDA are one such band. Whilst never quite hitting the heights as other players in the scene, thanks to a wealth of experience, 18 years to be precise, if there’s anyone ready to jump on the bubbling momentum and buzz surrounding thrash in recent times, it’s them. And with their sixth record, Cabaret De La Guillotine, the Spanish quartet give it a mighty good go.
Cabaret De La Guillotine is full throttle affair. Following a delicate and brooding introduction, opening track Sharpen The Guillotine wastes no time in setting the scene through the galloping riffs from David G. Álvarez and Guillermo Izquierdo, with the former dispatching some excellent vocal work before subsiding into a roaring guitar solo. It’s trademark thrash; gutsy and manic and keeps the one overtly violent. A good start to the record indeed.
Sharpen The Guillotine is a great opening but it’s only a tremor when compared to the sheer seismic force that follows. Betrayed is an absolute belter of a track. Boasting slick and intricate riffing that makes up the backbone of the song, the seamless swings in tempo and triumphant soaring chorus make it an instant standout, whilst Ministry of God is an entirely different beast. ANGELUS APATRIDA hit top gear on this track thanks to a blitz of hard-hitting riffing whilst blistering drumming from Víctor Valera resembles machine gun fire. It’s a whirlwind experience and it’s hard not to be swept up in the mayhem.
Hard hitting riffs are clearly the order of the day here and ANGELUS APATRIDA deliver them in absolute abundance. The guitarwork from both Álvarez and Izquierdo on this record is simply sublime as the pair dispatch neck-snapping riffs and jaw-dropping solos with absolute ease. The solo on The Hum is simply spectacular showcasing the skill at the band’s disposal whilst the riffs dispatched on Downfall of the Nation pack enough power to level a city. For a genre like thrash, good riffs are absolutely essential and ANGENLUS APATRIDA more than demonstrate their prowess on this record.
That’s not to say that the other aspects to their sound are weak. Víctor Valera and José J. Izquierdo performances on the drums and bass respectively are consistently strong, never buckling under the blistering rhythm, and Guillermo Izquierdo‘s vocal work is equally impressive. Izquierdo has a subtlety to his vocal work that goes so much further than your typical thrash metal vocalist with a range of styles explored across the record that never shatter the intensity. One of Us displays a range of high pitched shrieks that sound akin to the likes of HAVOK whilst the gut-punching lows showcased in the chorus of The Hum would make Chuck Billy proud. Even the utilisation of NWOBHM-esque cleans in The Die Is Cast don’t feel out of character, which really hammers home the versatility at his disposal. It breathes a sense of class and character into the record and makes it stand apart from being just another trademark thrash record.
Yet, Cabaret De La Guillotine is not a perfect record. At the album’s crucial final third, things become stale and as a result, the band fall at a crucial hurdle. Witching Hour‘s six minute run-time stretches the track out unnecessarily, the sharp tempo changes to a mid-tempo slog in the track’s chorus buckles the momentum completely, and with the only saving grace being a snappy solo that recaptures your attention for just a snippet, it’s fair to say this track falls flat compared to the earlier bombardments. To make matters worse, Farewell is just a complete misfire. Serving as the ‘ballad’ of the record, the track feels completely out of place on the record and if it wasn’t for the explosive final bout of Martyrs of Chicago, then the record’s conclusion would be incredibly weak.
Aside from several misfires, Cabaret De La Guillotine is a very strong offering from ANGELUS APATRIDA. Explosive, gut-punching and full of killer moments, this is a record that encapsulates the very essence of what makes thrash so exhilarating and you’d be surprised if Cabaret De La Guillotine didn’t cement their place amongst the heavy hitters in the scene. For those that crave speed and riffs that will cause a serious case of whiplash, this is the record for you.
Rating: 8/10
Cabaret De La Guillotine is set for release on May 4th via Century Media Records.
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