Artist: Carnal Forge
Label: Century Media
Release Date: 11/14/00
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Title: Firedemon Artist: Carnal Forge Label: Century Media Release Date: 11/14/00 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
Do you like Defleshed? Do you like The Crown? Do you like apples? Well I'm listening to Carnal Forge… How d'ya like them apples? If you like those previous two bands, and the small but growing latter-day thrash scene, chances are you'll like them apples quite a lot. Carnal Forge pretty much have it all. Speed, hook, and pile upon pile of catchy riffs.
"Carnal Forge lives up to its peers' material, and although I don't want to jump on the bandwagon all too quickly, they might possibly be the best." I'm really digging this new style of thrash myself, and the more I hear of it the more I like it. To me it just seems like the perfect melding of old and new shit. It takes the best parts of the thrash movement from the eighties and takes away all of the trappings that might leave the modern metal fan feeling out of sorts. We no longer have to worry about droning falsettos, or drippy power ballads (yeah I liked some of them too, but I thought it was ridiculous that every thrash album of the eighties felt the need to have one), those spaces being subsequently filled with the advantages of modern day death, namely skin-shredding brutality and an approach that is no-frills but semi-serious.
Carnal Forge lives up to its peers' material, and although I don't want to jump on the bandwagon all too quickly, they might possibly be the best. The vocal cadence incites headbanging and singalongs, and the forcefulness of the driving guitars and rhythm section make it all hit you like a brick wall moving at terminal velocity. Just plain fun stuff to listen to, drink to, bang your head, and make the sign of the horns to. Absolutely no filler on this disc at all, and the songs are distinctive enough for you to pick out your favorites within the first few spins. I feel a sense of sadness every time the disc ends.
Death's Review:
There was a lot of hype floated my way surrounding Carnal Forge's 1998 Wrong Again Records release, Who's Gonna Burn. And, well, it did not live up to that hype for some reason. I was expecting some kind of third wave of shredding thrash and instead I heard another European death metal band trying to capitalize on a then mildly-trendy retro-thrash movement. I was simply uninspired, and at that time I suppose I put a mental checkmark next to the Carnal Forge column meaning - "Yep, heard that and understand what they are all about. Mediocre. Next!"
So this new Carnal Forge album comes out on Century Media, and Famine calls me up and tells me it smokes. Mind you, Famine is a lover of all that is metal, whereas sometimes I can be a tightass about accepting new acts into the fold. I know Famine has one of the best ears for a killer metal record in the entire world, but he simply likes more stuff than I do and just because he was calling it the best thrash record in years and totally getting behind it didn't mean that I was gonna feel the same way. I had already written Carnal Forge off. I knew their sound and had rejected their quest for pure greatness, at least in my book.
"There's a five skull riff in every song!" But Famine has known me for a while, and so he knows how to speak my language. In other words, he knows the code words to use to break through my heavy metal jade. He said to me this: "there's a five skull riff in every song!"
What exactly is a five-skull riff? Well, he and I had never talked about it, but he knew as well as I did that it was the "money shot" of any technical thrash or speed metal song. It is the payoff, the one the whole thing leads up to. And Famine was right, Firedemon is chock full of five-skull riffs. So I listened closer, yesterday taking the album on with me on a long journey through the Manhattan subway system (specifically, riding the good 'ole N/R or, as Musashi calls them, the "Never" and the "Rarely") on a cold winter night. And then it hit me. This album smoked!
"Intricate precision riffing. Total balls-out aggression." I was thrashing all the way to 42nd Street. Other riders must have noticed my incessant headbobbing, of which I was aware but could not control. I just did not care. Intricate precision riffing. Total balls-out aggression. Think At the Gates meets Slayer meets the aggro of Machine Head's Burn My Eyes (Famine and Abyss dispute me on the inclusion of Machine Head in my comaprison, so let me clarify. Don't get me wrong, this is not nu-metal, it is speed/thrash through and through. I'm thinking more of a "A Nation on Fire" Machine Head than "The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears"). Seriously, folks. If you like killer thrash, you want to check this one out. It shreds. I'm glad my prejudices didn't cause me to miss it.
Hel's Review:
The first conversation I had with anyone about this record was with Famine, a couple of weeks ago. And what he said then really stuck with me. He was very excited about this record, and was playing a little of a few tracks telling me, "there's a five skull riff on every song", and proceeding to point out a few of them. I had already heard it for myself at this point, but enjoy watching him go off about metal, so I didn't stop him. I thought I would shake the experience off and forget all about it. But I continue to come back to what he said - a five skull riff in every track. Truth be told, I think there is more than just one five skull riff in each of these tracks.
"The fan of good old fashioned death-tinged thrash will have a difficult time not starting a pit in the middle of a subway car whilst enjoying Firedemon." This is exactly the kind of music I like. Fast paced as a general rule, but with enough time changes to shift it from fast-paced to mid-paced to groovy to riffy and then back again in mere moments. Sure, they can shift gears, but they don't necessarily have to slow down to do it. Let's keep these guys driving guitars instead of cars, shall we? Bad analogies aside, the fan of good old fashioned death-tinged thrash will have a difficult time not starting a pit in the middle of a subway car whilst enjoying Firedemon.
So, we're talking about rapid-fire drums, dual metallic guitars, thundering bass, screaming vocals, which generally slows down to a mid-paced, everybody bang your head section, and speeds back up again - you know, your typical cool metal album. So what makes this one different? Listen to it and see for yourself. All I'm going to say is, "Fire-demon! Fire-demon! Fire-demon!" If you can't figure it out from there, I can't help you.
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