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Terrordrome/Oath To Vanquish: Begetters of fear and ruin

30/11/10 || The Duff

Brutal death metal has come to me like a fucking fantastic dose of the clap, and all through Grindethic after a brief couple of years sidestepping American stalwarts Disgorge and Decrepit Birth for their inability to halt the forceful penetration of my ears. Yes, in terms of relentlessness, such bands had me defeated in understanding such a sub-genre, yet following recent ventures into Germany’s Defeated Sanity (a band I can’t praise enough) and subsequently UK’s Infected Disarray (the European isle is without doubt taking the scene by storm, shattering all doubts I had of its competence in reinvigorating the underground), outfits practicing US brutal death but more fine-tuned thereby reverting to the more life-like variety of classic Suffocation, I’ve grown suddenly close to obsessed. This is a style of music that Europe has beat pure and simple over the US, the latter (bands such as Inherit Disease, Malignancy and Insidious Decrepancy to name a few) too clinical, the former sticking to the sledge-hammer brutality of classic New York styles but melding it with earthy, Carcass-grind sensibility. Oh thweet Heaven howeth thouth hath denied me until now.

Both Terrordrome and Oath to Vanquish have been playing the game for some time now, both with full-length releases on Grindethic (released 2009 and 2006, respectively) and an handful of E.P.‘s/splits apiece, although no sign of such on the Grindethic website concerning the latter (it’s called assumptive journalism, dickwad). Alongside bands like Detrimentum, Infected Disarray and Unleashed (another example of Europe’s reign over the US, these Texans not bad at all but lacking the flare of European stock), they appear to be the cream of the crop and two of few bands Grindethic are pushing for the most. Having their own forums hosted on MSN, the label stated that, on this split E.P., Terrordrome (Greece) and Oath to Vanquish (Lebanon) are trying to push the sub-genre forward, and from the strength of the four tracks on display here (two cuts each, but how do I patronize?), I’m more inclined to disagree, but then it appeared a statement synonymous with the term “kicking water uphill” or “trying to rape hormone-beefed chickens” (i.e. shit near impossible) and so the short of it is, there is bucketloads of potential in both attempts to revitalize while keeping template formulas unbroken. Unfortunately for Oath to Vanquish, Terrordrome have them beat; the former sound more akin to American styles with something that would sound at home on Neurotic Records, whereas the latter certainly have their own thing going (Augury meets Odious Mortem/Origin), mixing tech, atmosphere and brutality more resolutely even if in more disjointed fashion.

The big surprise for me, after becoming acquainted with Defeated Sanity and Infected Disarray, is that both bands are heavy, but I wouldn’t label them brutal death metal with the vocals apart – they side far more with tech death/grind of the Cephalic Carnage kind with elements of Disgorge et al. It makes for a more interesting brew, for sure, but if you’re looking for serious lid-peeling skullfucking tuneage then I would suggest you keep your distance. The split itself has sold-out in no time, and whether or not the cuts will appear on future releases is beyond me, but most if not all are streaming currently on their respective MySpace pages; both bands are really quite different from each other. Terrordrome add some Necrophagist technical madness that kicks out in the most unexpected of places – it can be very fresh, but to those of you who hate a groove being broken, this isn’t for you (a prime example being around the 2:20 mark of “… For Mayhem to Begin”). Also, the end of the aforementioned track is quite the anti-climactic noodle-fest (and boy does it go on – the flamenco style the band is raving about at present, I think); fancy, sure, but it could have done with one killer, all-out distorted closing riff. Other than that they have a very cool, crunchy style, mixing the unforeseeable with quality and fail-safe in equal doses and coming out ahead as a promising outfit to follow. Oath to Vanquish are unfortunately a bit too steak and chips for my liking, but I think this largely to be down to the production which coalesces shades of colour to form unflattering greys, providing music with an initial wow factor but little of a lasting nature. It’s a shame, because this grossly undervalues the band – you can tell how they are trying to help progress the sub-genre of brutal death (Immolation/Hate Eternal meets the cacophony of Ulcerate’s “Of Fracture and Failure”), but it sounds too monotonous for something trying to be so inventive.

So I prefer Terrordrome, but because of their jarring elements, by everything that is right and true, Oath to Vanquish should score the same if only for the fact that Ulcerate-style death metal is still quite new to the scene. Unfortunately, generic production values and the fact that Ulcerate have and always will conquer this style (Jamie’s conducted two interviews for the site already and I think it’s that time of year again GET IN TOUCH FUCKER!), as well as the more hook-laden Terrordrome material means they score one point less than the overall awarded (which is essentially Terrordrome’s score – simple yah) – but there is without a doubt excellent material presented both sides of this E.P., more together than Infected Disarray but not yet up to the lofty standards of Defeated Sanity to announce once more my broad appreciation of the sub-genre.

Information
Released: 2010
Label: Grindethic
Website: www.grindethic.co.uk
Bands
Terrordrome
Peter Ouzounis: vocals
Sakis Chatzitakis: guitars
Anestis Varitimiadis: bass
Bill Stavrianidis: drums
Oath To Vanquish
Elias: guitars, vocals
Cyril: bass, vocals
Carlos: drums, vocals

Tracklist
01. Alas, in the wound… (Terrordrome)
02. … for mayhem to begin (Terrordrome)
03. Apothecary of abhorrence (Oath to Vanquish)
04. The ruinous fate of the blind (Oath to Vanquish)

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