The Fucking Wrath, Season of Evil
It must be a sign of the apocalypse! This is the second review I’ve done in a matter of weeks that has lead off with the same sound clip of Vigo the Carpathian declaring, “On a mountain of skulls, in the castle of pain, I sat on a throne of blood! What was will be! What is will be no more! Now is the season of evil!” I never would have guessed that Ghostbusters 2 was such a favorite movie among metal bands.
In all seriousness, you’ve got to love it when three friends living on the same street finally start jamming together after work, creating such a musical beast that simply cannot be ignored. The Fucking Wrath is just that — a thrash filled snarling monstrosity of heavy rock formed by three friends that got together during downtime from their own individual musical entities.
The result of this unholy trinity is Season of Evil and it’s quite simply one of the most enjoyable releases of the year. As an exasperated sound clips used in the album states, “It’s just pile drivin’, heavy rockin’… heavy metal… rock n’ roll..”
You really can’t say it any better than that.
Ride the Lighter
After a little reverb and riffing, the Vigo sound clip announces that this is the season of evil.
To the Eels
After the mood setter, the band lets loose with their wrath. “To the Eels” starts of hard and fast, but soon subsides and flows into stoner rock riffs and leads. The vocals are gruff and shouted, but hold a nice melody to them that compliments the guitar work well.
Church of the Apocalypse
The reverb that finishes off the previous tracks blends into the hard paced “Church of the Apocalypse,” a throwback to the time of Metallica’s Kill ’em All.
This Bear Blows Fire
I love the lead and opening riff of this one. It’s a bit of a change up from the first few tracks. It’s got a bright feel to it that helps add a new dimension to the band’s sound.
Womb
A nice bit of punk guitar work starts off “Womb.” This song is fast paced and pounding. The drum work gives it a bit of a live performance feel and dual vocals add an additional layer.
Past Your Grave
If you had any doubt about this album being heavy freaking rock and roll, the opening of this one will surely remind you. It reminds me a bit of Doomriders’ “Listen Up.” Add in the grave rocking solo and you’ve got my favorite track on the album.
Defeater
A goofy sound clip gets this one started before the thrash starts flowing uncontrollably from my speakers. Easily containing some of the fastest guitar and drum work on the album, “Defeator” is going to ultimately be a classic.
Hell Flies Tonight
The interaction between vocalists Craig Kasamis and Nick Minasian is great in the opening portion of “Hell Flies Tonight.” I love the chugging slow down at the :48 mark.
One Last Breath
The shortest song on the album starts off with a few huge doom inspired hits from the guitars prior to deteriorating into chaotic thrash. The lead solo on this one is ridiculous.
Gaze of the Cyclops
For some reason, the vocals sound a bit more harsh on this one. I don’t think they really are, but the overall feel of this one is a bit darker and crustier.
Old Man and the Sea
The final track on Season of Evil is also the longest, reaching just pass the 4 minute mark. That’s right we’ve already flown through 10 songs in under 23 minutes. “Old Man and the Sea” is a dark and brooding piece of work reminiscent of early Black Sabbath.
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In case you were unsure, we loved this album — especially when played way too loud in rush hour traffic. It makes the commute that much easier. The Fucking Wrath is going to be a band that I will be keeping my eye on. Their brand of dirty, hard rocking metal is just to infectious to ignore.
Favorite Tracks:
To the Eels
Womb
Past Your Grave
Defeater
Hell Flies Tonight
Additional Notes:
N/A