ALBUM REVIEW: Fatal Horizons – Rhythm Of Fear
On Fatal Horizons, RHYTHM OF FEAR lean more into the thrash side of their crossover sound and it really pays off. With the highpoints of the record all coming from the stellar guitar work and fun writing, they’re making more use out of the elements they are particularly great at and that helps to separate them from the pack and produce a record that is worthy of the golden era that their sound is striving to replicate.
Crucially for this thrashier approach, the guitars are the real star of the record and everything great about it starts and ends with them. Everything they touch just oozes charisma and fun so if you’re coming back to this record for repeat listens, it’s because of the riffs and grooves. The first half of the tracklist in particular has this great balance of knowing when to move into a more straightforward stomp before returning to that 0-60 technical riffing that is like dangling bait for those prone to circle-pitting.
From a lyrical standpoint, if you stop and think about what’s just been said it does fall a little flat, but when you’re caught up in the whirlwind of energy and just having a good ol’ time with the record, they only add to that enjoyment. The classic thrash tropes of saying really metal sounding words next to each other to form a sentence is on full display where even tracks like Parasomniac, which deals with the vocalist’s own experience with EHS (exploding head syndrome), just come across as a guy with attitude shouting cool words. The silliness doesn’t end there though as the lyrics cover other topics such as aliens. The album’s second track Alien Synthesis has a pairing of the lyrics “encounter of the fourth kind” and “trans-neutral interface, redefine time and space” and from that point on, you should know what type of ride you’re strapped in for.
Similar to the lyrics, the album also features three interludes and they go hand in hand with the previous sentiment. If you’re bought in to have a not overly serious but laughably good time with this record, then here are three interludes that play into the slightly schlocky horror/sci-fi theming with some spooky noises and keyboards. In the grand scheme of things, they don’t really add anything that is crucial to the album but they do help to give it that B-movie charm. If by track 11 you’re already thinking they’re out of sights to show you, in comes Tears Of Ecstasy, based on Clive Barker’s Hellraiser which again should let you know exactly how you should treat this album.
In all seriousness, whilst Fatal Horizons has its moments where it walks the line between being so over the top that it becomes funny, RHYTHM OF FEAR nailing the thrashier side of what they do is no laughing matter. By focusing on those elements and stripping back some of the hardcore, this record will take you back to that golden era and give you riffs upon riffs that hit that sweet spot. The performances and writing are strong enough, particularly in the guitars, to the point that it never feels like a tribute; it has the skill and theming to slot itself right in between the big names of the genre quite comfortably. Ah, the riffing. The sweet, sweet riffing.
Rating: 8/10
Fatal Horizons is set for release on October 14th via MNRK Heavy.
Like RHYTHM OF FEAR on Facebook.