Besieged – Violence Beyond All Reason
Besieged – Violence Beyond All Reason
Unspeakable Axe Records
Release Date: 06/06/22
Running Time: 26:00
Review by Paul Hutchings
9/10
Any band that has their album cover at number 11 in the top 50 Ed Repka album covers list (Ed Repka’s best 50 album covers! ) list needs to be taken seriously. When it’s Canadian Death Thrashers second album, a mere 12 years since that album, ‘Victims Beyond Any Help,’ it’s even more important to stop what you are doing and listen carefully.
At a mere 26 minutes in length, ‘Violence Beyond All Reason’ is intent on making a brutal and immediate impact. They do that with this visceral slice of metal that belies the fact that there are only three of them. At no time on the album does the pace slow beyond warp speed. It’s punchy, aggressive and at times darn right ferocious.
Inevitable comparisons with Sepultura were drawn on the first album, and there’s little change here as the Seps influence remains strong. It’s not an album that could be charged with plagiarism though, for the band’s approach is to draw upon those influences and meld them into one aggressive, angry balled up fist of metal that smacks hard and without mercy.
Opener ‘Last Chance’ sets the stall out early, fires up the riffometer to 11 and unleashes one blistering onslaught. The only track over four minutes follows, the aural assault of ‘Paragons of Brutality’ that opens with some of the most aggressive riffing on the whole album. The delivery is savage, visceral and with Nolan Smit’s ragged snarling vocals raging above the inferno of power. The track features some blistering lead work that rips from the maelstrom of chaos and slices with razor sharp accuracy.
Amongst the driving rhythm section and superlative shredding, the punishing pace is relentless. ‘Path to Defy’ is savage, the combination of death and thrash proving the perfect combination and one that gets you itching to hit the pit, such is the charge that the band provide.
Although the barrage is unrelenting, each track has minor twists and turns that distinguish it from the previous song. ‘One World Coma’ bludgeons, the vocals raw and fiery, pushes hard and is delivered with aplomb. Such is the intensity of the overall delivery that it’s impossible to put this album back on after you’ve played it. A period of calm is necessary before a further spin is preferable to allow the head to return to some sense of normality.
If you decide to dive into ‘Violence Beyond All Reason’ without heeding this warning, then you have no-one but yourself to blame! If you love your death and thrash, then this is album that needs to be on the playlist. It’s simply that good.
‘Last Chance’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Last Chance
02. Paragons of Brutality
03. Violence Beyond All Reason
04. Path to Defy
05. One World Coma
06. Descent into Despotism
07. Testaments
LINE-UP:
Nick Tober – Bass
Tristan Smit – Drums
Nolan Smit – Guitars & Vocals
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Paul Hutchings and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.