January 20, 2010 | , | 3.5

Black Breath, Razor to Oblivion

Black Breath: Razor to Oblivion

Like the wretched, bastard offspring of Metallica, Discharge and Bathory bashed over the head with sludge and doom, Seattle’s Black Breath debut EP Razor to Oblivion will leave you battered, bruised, bloody and grinning beneath the stomping boots of an overly enthusiastic mosh pit. Combining hardcore punk, thrash, speed metal and a little Motorhead for good measure these dudes unleash four songs in just under 15 minutes.

Each song on this short EP is aggressive, violent and full throttled mayhem just waiting for a chance to demolish everything in the band’s path. The guitars are straight from the gutter with a rawness and urgency that is only eclipsed by the thunderous rumbling of the bass and drums. Topping it all off are shattered vocals delivered through a raspy, mid-range shout that’s got an aggression and angst to match the music.

Razor to Oblivion
The band starts off this all-to-short EP with a title track that starts off with sick hardcore punk tinged guitars before leaping blindly into a churning mass of pile driving drums and Motorhead like vibe that’s been jacked up on meth and steroids for weeks on end. This is an up-tempo beast of a song that’s got plenty of raw textures added to the mix. The sense of urgency within the song is infectious as you’ll be shouting along with the band in no time.

Fatal Error
“Fatal Error” keeps the blood boiling with it’s slick riffs and unrelenting pace. Man, this is one raucous song. The thick guitar tones nearly suffocate the vocals as the drums bludgeon ear drums at will. You’ll have a sore neck after this EP is over. The slow down around 1:30 is a nice touch, keeping you on your toes with a couple tempo shifts. The vocals after the two minute mark take on a distant, black metal feel and only add to the vileness of the song. The restart before the three minute mark is an odd touch as it felt like the start of a new song.

Beneath the Crust
The title to this one is more than appropriate as there is a boat load of grimy crust added to the band’s sound — it’s thick and heavy. This is a burly song with plenty of opportunities to shout along with the band as they shift from the suffocating din of doomy, sludgy riffs to pile driving speed metal. I can’t get enough of these guys. They’re making it quite hard for me to move on to another album to review. I love the massive riffs that comprise the final minute or so of the song.

Murder
“Murder” wraps up Razor to Oblivion with a building start that finally gets to a chugging monstrosity about 45 seconds into the song. This song is a good deal slower than the other three, but no less awesome as it builds on it’s massive riffs with thundering drums, rumbling bass and tortured shouts. The guitar work around 2:45 is a nice touch, as well. Plenty of feedback and final shout let you down easy after these guys have done all they can to pummel you into submission. Excellent EP!

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Additional Notes:
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