EP REVIEW: Chants Of The Abyss – Schizophrenia

There are few topics in music so contentious as cover versions of well known and revered songs. For the band braving the cover, it’s a delicate minefield of paying homage without just being a straight up copy, and for listeners, it becomes about separating themselves from an original or existing version in order to give new attempts a chance. How brave then of Belgian death-thrash outfit SCHIZOPHRENIA to release Chants Of The Abyss, an EP of covers of death, thrash and punk legends.

On last year’s debut full-length Recollections Of The Insane, they clearly displayed their adoration for the likes of SLAYER and MORBID ANGEL, and now here on Chants Of The Abyss, that’s exactly where they start. A double header of Necrophiliac and Maze Of Torment opens this release with exactly the kind of death and thrash metal worship we’ve come to expect from SCHIZOPHRENIA. 

What is most striking though – and the overarching victory of Chants Into The Abyss is that this isn’t just a covers EP. SCHIZOPHRENIA have carefully selected these songs and managed to, well… SCHIZOPHRENIA-ize them all. Because whether it’s their bread and butter offering like those opening numbers, or when they veer more into punk territory via MISFITS and GBH, or just a straight ahead heavy metal homage to JUDAS PRIEST, they’ve managed to leave enough of the original song intact, while adding their own furious spin. 

To that point as well, they’ve masterfully reshaped these different subgenres to fit their own MO. A three track run of JUDAS PRIEST’s Metal Meltdown, MISFITS’ Bullet and EXODUS’ Strike Of The Beast shows just how malleable they’ve made themselves, without ever losing the core of their offering. 

The end result is something to get really excited about. Excited for the tapestry of metal that has been recreated for us here, excited for the growth of SCHIZOPHRENIA, and – most importantly – excited for a future with them in it. 

Rating: 8/10

Chants Of The Abyss is set for release on February 10th via self-release.

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