Produced by Tore Stjerna
Released: 2009
After a couple of obscure EPs, this London-based quartet have now been afforded the opportunity to attack a wider audience with their first release on Metal Blade, and they don't waste the chance. Featuring two guys from Deströyer 666 and the original drummer from DragonForce, it's pretty obvious that this is going to be nothing less than relentless metal insanity. And it is.
Razor of Occam are as good as their name on Homage to Martryrs. Cutting straight through the bullshit, their assault begins immediately. No drawn out keyboard atmospherics, acoustic build-ups, horror movie samples or bells tolling. Just fast-as-fuck, neck-damaging blackened thrash metal from the moment it starts. Pete Hunt lays down a solid and unrelenting foundation of blasts and double-kicking for a just as merciless onslaught of crushing riffs, out of which Shrapnel fires a seemingly endless barrage of frantic guitar solos. The vocals are a clear, raspy scream occasionally joined by a low growl that aren't lost in the mix like a lot of music of this kind; the bass is indistinct yet does what's required, and that's to just give a little extra weight to the guitars as they thrash like hell.
Razor of Occam don't bring anything new to the game with this symphony of violence. Instead, they've stripped it down to its basest elements and taken it back to the primal, urgent noise it was in the beginning. These tracks may lack some of the overall catchiness and melody of D666, but they make up for it in pure intensity and old school thrash metal honesty.
- Altar of Corruption
- Bite of Dogmata
- Day of Wrath
- Heat of Battle
- Immortal Code
- Pattern on the Stone
- Flame Bearers
- Shadow of the Cross
Rating: 78%
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