A pulverizing display of German Melodic Death and Thrash Metal that will lay waste to any listener unfortunate enough to venture near the battlefield.

Originally founded in 2012 in the city of Barnstorf, a municipality in the district of Diepholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany, as what was solely intended to be a studio project, Melodic Death/Thrash Metal outfit Scythe Beast quickly morphed into its very own entity, culminating with the released of their debut effort Breeding Devastation in 2016. Now in 2021 it’s time for frontman Claus Ulka, guitarists Sven Stoppelberg and Frank Schwenker, bassist Jens Weymann and drummer Andreas Tegeler to unleash upon us their sophomore opus, entitled Indicted for Misconception, a deadly barrage brought into being during the lockdown period in Germany that will lay waste to any listener unfortunate enough to venture near the battlefield, living up to the legacy of renowned acts the likes of God Dethroned, Carcass and old Dark Tranquility.

Sven and Frank rev up Scythe Beast’s angry machine in the opening tune King of a Dead Land, evolving into a violent fusion of classic Death and Thrash Metal perfect for slamming into the pit right form the very first second, and it’s then time for a Carcass-infused tune entitled Kill Machine, where the quintet fires more of their vicious sounds spearheaded by the raspy roars by Claus, while Andreas keeps hammering his drums mercilessly. What a fulminating start to the album I might say, and their fire keeps burning in Soulicide, where they slow things down a bit while still sounding heavy-as-hell and utterly aggressive, increasing in insanity until exploding into visceral Melodic Death Metal where Jens extracts violent metallic sounds from his bass for our vulgar delectation; whereas the slashing riffs by the band’s guitar duo set the tone in the frantic Colonize, a Swedish Melodic Death Metal-inspired tune where the thrashing beats by Andreas bring even more fury to the overall sonority.

The tile-track Indicted for Misconception brings to our avid ears more of the band’s visceral and extremely harmonious metal music, a multi-layered, imposing tune spiced up by sick guitar solos by Sven and Frank as the icing on the cake, and never letting the energy level go down the quintet blasts our minds with the straightforward Signs of the Decline, where Claus’ demonic roaring is effectively supported by his bandmates’ classic backing vocals. If you think you’re safe from Scythe Beast, you better get ready to be crushed like an insect in For the Love of God, where Claus keeps vociferating rabidly while Sven and Frank are on fire with their wicked riffage, and Sven, Frank and Jens are once again ruthless with their stringed weapons in Truth Beyond, supported by the trademark blast beats by Andreas while also bringing some welcome hints of Black Metal. Lastly, the band demolishes everything and everyone that crosses their path with the venomous Scapegoat, presenting their usual demented riffs and beats and with Claus sounding like a furious beast on vocals just the way we like it in extreme music.

These German beasts of Melodic Death and Thrash Metal are waiting for you on Facebook and on YouTube, but of course if you want to show your true support to the underground you should definitely purchase a copy of Indicted for Misconception from the band’s own BandCamp page or from Apple Music. As already mentioned a few times on The Headbanging Moose in the past year or so, although no one can stand this never-ending lockdown anymore, it looks like several bands the likes of Scythe Beast are making very good usage of their time away from the road, generating top-of-the-line metal music for us fans and, consequently, keeping us sane and making our days a lot more fun to the sound of their wicked creations. I obviously hope this lockdown comes to an end sooner than later, but if this type of isolation is needed for Scythe Beast to keep smashing our souls with their music, then I’m more than fine having to spend some more time indoors.

Best moments of the album: King of a Dead Land, Kill Machine and Indicted for Misconception.

Worst moments of the album: Truth Beyond.

Released in 2021 Independent

Track listing
1. King of a Dead Land 4:23
2. Kill Machine 4:21
3. Soulicide 6:31
4. Colonize 4:31
5. Indicted for Misconception 4:43
6. Signs of the Decline 4:53
7. For the Love of God 5:06
8. Truth Beyond 4:27
9. Scapegoat 5:00

Band members
Claus Ulka – vocals
Sven Stoppelberg – guitars
Frank Schwenker – guitars
Jens Weymann – bass
Andreas Tegeler – drums