Chemicide – Common Sense
Release Date: 15th March 2022
Label: RipRide Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Old School Thrash Metal
FFO: Kreator, Destruction, Dark Angel, Demolition Hammer, Testament.
Review By: Anthony Petitt
Having released a new album roughly every two years since their first full length Episodes of Insanity in 2015, Costa Rican thrash band Chemicide show no signs of slowing down (literally) their output anytime soon. Their newest release, entitled Common Sense, is filled from top to bottom with high energy playing and dynamic songwriting. Self-produced, and mixed and mastered by Martín Furia, lead guitarist for German thrash metal legends Destruction, the album is sure to make old school thrash fans happy, but without ever feeling like a re-tread of the past.
The opening track Self Destruct is a clear standout, and features a clever rotation of various guitar riffs and drum beats that keeps the listener intrigued, overlaid with passionate vocals reminiscent of the Tom Araya of 35 years ago, courtesy of vocalist Frankie. The next song Lunar Eternity has an anthemic quality to it, and is highlighted by excellent drum work and soaring guitar playing.
The song Barred Existence opens with a simple but powerful bass intro, and the bass playing remains prominent throughout the song and the entire album. In terms of mixing, every instrument has its place on this record. The vocals never overpower the instrumentals nor vice versa, they complement each other and help to paint the band as a cohesive unit. The songs sound clear and polished, but by no means overproduced. Lyrical themes of alienation and contempt for modern society, two mainstays of thrash, are present throughout the album and fit in well with the unrelenting feel and intensity of the music.
The album ends with a cover of It’s an Action, originally performed by legendary punks Poison Idea. The song is competently played, and the lyrics tie in well with the rest of the album, but it feels like a missed opportunity to not end the album with the stellar penultimate track Disposable. The song feels like the culmination of everything this record excels at: tight, speedy instrumentation and impassioned vocal delivery, all made better by sleek modern production.
Clocking in at under 40 minutes and featuring only one song longer than five minutes, Common Sense never lets up or wears out its welcome. There are no ballads to be found here!
(4 / 5)
