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Intolerant: Reasons for unrest
06/01/09 || HailandKill
Absolutely no one saw this coming. Humankind was too fixated on “Chinese Democracy” to notice a groove thrash album creep up from behind and kick its ass. Eschewing the fancy shit, waves of chugging heaviness greets the listener on the angry first song “Clenched Fist”. Stylistically rooted in the 90’s metal popularized by Pantera, Machine Head, Sepultura, and lots of hardcore, Intolerant are two fat guys on guitars and two skinny dudes on everything else. Of the two fat guys, one Russel Dela Cruz from obscure Asian thrash legends Skychurch sings and plays rhythm.
Putting Rob Flynn’s own band to shame, second track “Blunt Force Trauma” is a rollicking kick-you-in-the-pants bulldozer that will get your body moving. Its beginning is a huge wave of overwhelming buzzsaw metallic beef punctuated by a scream from Mr. Dela Cruz, as if he were being circumcised without any anesthesia. Now the album’s name and even the band’s choice of song titles might connote political themes, but rest assured, Intolerant just like to sound angry. In fact, they sound two types of angry; there’s the Rob Flynn screaming and the wrathful Phil Anselmo moans. Based on the names mentioned in this review, you should have a clear idea where Intolerant are coming from. If you still don’t, that’s retarded. Here’s a convenient formula: melody + sounding pissed + a familiar pool of influences + grooves = Intolerant!
Dissecting the rest of the songs, title track “Reasons for Unrest”, “Death Toll Rising” and “My Demise” are all fist-smashing numbers bathing your face in hot pee. Intense stuff. Though their meanness does sport a few cool solos and those aforementioned moans that are all too reminiscent of Mr. Anselmo. A very entertaining instrumental entitled “Santiago” comes bracketed between snippets of movie dialogue that you can’t place (HailandKill thinks he should ask Intolerant about it) before the generic “God of War” barges in and starts jumping up and down your bedroom floor. Wasn’t it mentioned that this album really cranks? No? It does.
A weird bass noodle starts “Last Standing” which predictably turns muscular and then groovy—you already heard this a few minutes ago. However, album closer “Abandoned” comes as a total shocker since Intolerant play mid tempo and nobody’s hollering anymore. It’s a nice ending for a very abrasive 50 minutes of music. Now everything about “Reasons for unrest” may turn off your average bigoted metalhead, but have the gentlemanliness to doff your hat at its strong points. Intolerant have succeeded in filling its running time with solid tunes that carry their own sound. Even the quality of production and musicianship is commendable, being at a level other “young” bands fail to achieve on first albums.
On a closing note, “Reasons for Unrest” totally slays The Haunted’s “Versus” in the sounding-pissed-off league.
7 reasons to lose weight out of 10.
- Information
- Released: 2008
- Label: Sonic Shape Records
- Website: Intolerant MySpace
- Band
- Russel Dela Cruz: vocals, guitars
- Joey Dizon: guitars
- Mic Gallegos: bass
- Pepo Gohu: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Clenched Fist
- 02. Blunt Force Trauma
- 03. Reasons for Unrest
- 04. Death Toll Rising
- 05. My Demise
- 06. Santiago
- 07. Agenda
- 08. God of War
- 09. Last Standing
- 10. Abandoned
