ALBUM REVIEW: Strike.Smother.Dehumanize – Revenge
Ever since metal’s explosive birth all those decades ago, there’s been a brutal and ongoing competition for bands to be the most heavy. Whether it’s the colossal riffs of death, the unrivalled energy of thrash, the gore-soaked ferocity of grindcore or the raw and harsh nature of black metal; this competitive nature for bands to try and out-heavy one another lies at metal’s beating heart. Once war metal emerged on the scene, for those who like their metal as heavy and visceral as it gets, they have found their new home. Since their violent emergence two decades ago, Canada’s REVENGE have been one of the style’s leading flagships. Strike.Smother.Dehumanize is the band’s sixth full-length effort and proudly continues their tradition of obliterating anything and everything that stands in their way.
REVENGE are a polarising band. For the initiated, the overwhelming display of speed and chaos is met with adoration, for others, it’s disregarded as complete noise. For those expecting Strike.Smother.Dehumanize to be an easier entry-point into the Canadians’ aural assault, then leave now, this album will disappoint; Strike.Smother.Dehumanize picks up right where 2015’s stellar Behold.Total.Rejection left off and beats you to within an inch of your life.
Reaper Abyss (Real Rain) comes flying out the gates as REVENGE unleash bout after bout of musical chaos. J Read’s drumming is breakneck and drives the speed of the track all whilst sending your pulse into overdrive, the interchanging guitar play of blistering riffing to scorching solos pack a mighty punch, all whilst his vicious snarls and guttural growls sound absolutely colossal. A solid start to the record. From there, REVENGE continue to keep things moving in top-gear, reinforcing their intimidating musical reputation. A one-two punch of Reign Power (Above All Born) and Oath Violator are the musical equivalent of being hit continuously in the face with a sledgehammer and songs like Excommunication and Death Hand (Strike Dehumanization) short and snappy run times present themselves as perfect snapshots into the band’s potency for musical carnage.
And yet, whilst Strike.Smother.Dehumanize certainly is a continuation of the REVENGE template, there are nuances across the record which help the album stand firmly on its own feet, establishing itself as the next logical step for the band. A slight marginal improvement to the overall production is largely at play here. The music itself is still raw and utterly vicious but the album certainly benefits from a superb mixing job that allows each component of REVENGE‘s sonic arsenal to sound as monolithically heavy as possible. Second, the band’s clever sprinkling of mid-tempo pacing and splashes of groove across the record help make the blistering chaos all the more impactful. Salvation Smothered (Genocide of Flock)‘s almost reserved opening moments help the oncoming barrage harder whilst the slick grooves in opening number Reaper Abyss (Real Rain) make for an early album highlight. There’s enough experimentation and tinkering with the template here to show that REVENGE are moving in the right direction without alienating their core fanbase. It makes for one hell of a listen.
For those who disregard REVENGE as an unlistenable racket, Strike.Smother.Dehumanize is not the record for you. This album is certainly not accessible and even the most seasoned extreme music listeners may struggle to digest it whole. However, for those who on board with the band’s dedication for crafting aural hellfire, you’ll find a lot to love with Strike.Smother.Dehumanize, it shows that REVENGE have continued to tread the well-trodden path that have made them such a cult name within extreme music. Strike.Smother.Dehumanize is an relentless and brutal barrage of black metal at its most extreme. Proceed with caution.
Rating: 8/10
Strike.Smother.Dehumanize is set for release on May 22nd via Season of Mist Underground Activists.
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