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Album Review – Holycide / Towards Idiocracy (2024)

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Armed to the teeth with machinegun riffs and prophecies of destruction, Spain’s premier Thrash Metal battle tank is unleashing a completely uncompromising thrash attack on the soulless avarice, self-serving arrogance and blind stupidity of mankind.

Armed to the teeth with machinegun riffs and prophecies of destruction, Towards Idiocracy, the third full-length album from Madrid, Spain’s premier Thrash Metal battle tank Holycide, is a completely uncompromising thrash attack on the soulless avarice, self-serving arrogance and blind stupidity of mankind and its crumbling towers, built upon the rotting carcass of this once paradisiacal world. Mixed by Nexus 6 at Monsteny Studios, mastered by Davide Billia at Mk2 Recording Studio, and displaying a dystopian artwork by Daemorph, the new album by frontman Dave Rotten (Avulsed, Christ Denied, Putrevore), guitarists Salva Esteban (Charontid) and Ankor Ramírez, bassist Vicenta J. Payá (Unbounded Terror, Golgotha), and drummer Santi ‘GoG’ Arroyo (Avulsed, Buriality) is the perfect follow-up to the band’s previous efforts Bazookiller, Fist to Face, and Annihilate… Then Ask!, a total sonic apocalypse highly recommended for fans of Slayer, Exodus and D.R.I., among others, that will surely keep fueling the band’s thrashing machine for many years to come.

The opener A.I. Supremacy already brings forward an overdose of rage, heaviness and old school Thrash Metal by the quintet, with Dave showcasing his trademark visceral roars right from the start, sounding sick and violent just the way we like it in extreme music; followed by the title-track Towards Idiocracy, where Salva and Ankor show no mercy for our souls delivering electricity and fury through their riffs. Remote Control is another blast of ass-kicking Thrash Metal led by the hammering drums by Santi while their guitars will slash your ears in a violent and thrilling manner, whereas Lie Is the New Truth is one of the most frantic, demented tunes of the entire album where Dave once again growls in our faces like a beast, resulting in a lecture in Thrash Metal made in Spain. And there’s no sign of Holycide slowing down at all, as the band blasts our ears with one more feast of thrashing sounds titled Power Corrupts, with Salva and Ankor stealing the spotlight with their razor-edged, massive riffs.

Get ready to be smashed like an insect inside the circle pit to the sound of Technophobia, an infuriated Thrash Metal anthem against the perils of present day technology, with Dave bursting his lungs screaming in the name of heavy music; and Angry for Nothing is what we could call the Spanish version of the ruthless Thrash Metal played by Exodus, a demented creation by the band with Santi taking the lead with his unstoppable beats and fills. As usual, Holycide offer a sick cover of a thrash anthem in the album, this time Chemical Dependency, by Atrophy (check out the original version from their 1987 demo Chemical Dependency), and Holycide’s version is just as frantic and electrifying. The whole album exhales madness and violence, and in Pleased to Be Deceived it couldn’t have been any different than that, with their riffs, bass and drums generating a menacing atmosphere perfect for Dave’s trademark roars; while lastly, the band will burn everything and everyone that crosses their path with Flamethrower ‘Em All, again blasting our faces with their boisterous blend of Thrash Metal.

In summary, Holycide nailed it once again with Towards Idiocracy, an album that exhales aggression musically and lyrically speaking, turning it into a must-listen for any metalhead who enjoys the austere, unrelenting and violent sounds of our good old Thrash Metal. Hence, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, to stream their demented music on Spotify, and above all that, to put your damned hands on their bestial new album by grabbing a copy of it directly from their own BandCamp page or from the Xtreem Music BandCamp page, keeping our beloved Thrash Metal alive and kicking, and of course the circle pits moving frantically in total Armageddon. And through the hail of bullets and cancerous fumes we march on, from our brave new world towards idiocracy.

Best moments of the album: A.I. Supremacy, Lie Is the New Truth and Angry for Nothing.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Xtreem Music

Track listing
1. A.I. Supremacy 3:15
2. Towards Idiocracy 3:49
3. Remote Control 4:17
4. Lie Is the New Truth 3:42
5. Power Corrupts 4:30
6. Technophobia 3:17
7. Angry for Nothing 3:53
8. Chemical Dependency (Atrophy cover) 3:03
9. Pleased to Be Deceived 4:46
10. Flamethrower ‘Em All 4:24

Band members
Dave Rotten – vocals
Salva Esteban – guitar
Ankor Ramírez – guitar
Vicente J. Payá – bass
Santi ‘GoG’ Arroyo – drums

Album Review – Holycide / Bazookiller EP (2023)

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The unstoppable Dave Rotten and his crew are back in action with an explosive new EP, an uncompromising and thrilling assault on the senses inviting us all to join the band into the battlefield.

Three years after their breathtaking album Fist to Face, Spanish Thrash Metal juggernauts Holycide are back in action, inviting us all to join them into the battlefield with their relentless new EP titled Bazookiller, a sonic four-track blitzkrieg not recommended for the faint-hearted. Mixed by Nexus 6 at Monsteny Studios, mastered by Davide Billia at Mk2 Recording Studio, and displaying an old school artwork by Daemorph that transpires Thrash Metal, the new EP by frontman Dave Rotten, guitarist Salva Esteban, bassist Vicente Payá and drummer Santi “GoG” Arroyo is an uncompromising and thrilling assault on the senses, offering us all three scorching original compositions by the quartet plus a merciless cover of a classic song by D.R.I. that will certainly put a huge and evil smile on your face, keeping the fires of Spanish Thrash Metal burning brighter than ever.

Dirty, demonic riffs ignite the bestial War Broadcast Live, with Dave growling the song’s contemporary, acid lyrics (“It’s modern times / The media rule it all / Immediacy is required / Hungry for audience / War Broadcast Live / Business is what matters / War Broadcast live / Audience is what matters”) in a classic, no shenanigans Thrash Metal feast made in Spain. Santi’s beats then dictate the pace in the thrashing extravaganza titled Bazookiller, supported by the metallic bass by Vicente. Moreover, it should certainly inspired some decent circle pits and endless headbanging, not to mention the amazing solo blasted by Salva; and let’s keep slamming into the pit to the sound of Modern Day Dictator, where Dave continues to distill his evil roars and gnarls, adding an extra touch of animosity to the music, with Salva and Vicente extracting pure dementia form their stringed axes. Last but not least, we face their cover version for Five Year Plan by D.R.I. (check out the original version HERE from their 1987 classic Crossover), and Holycide make sure the essence of the original song remains intact while they add their own thrashing twist to it, resulting in an excellent choice for some sick, frantic headbanging and, of course, for a wild mosh pit.

In a nutshell, Holycide offer in their new EP an honest and vibrant share of Spanish Thrash Metal without any artificial elements, setting the tone for what’s next in the career of such hardworking band. Hence, you can enjoy the EP in full on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course grab a copy of it from Xtreem Music’s BandCamp page or by clicking HERE, and don’t forget to also start following the unstoppable Dave Rotten and his crew on Facebook and on Instagram for news and tour dates, and to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their wicked music. Holycide are bringing their heavy artillery in the 15 infuriated minutes of music found in Bazookiller, and you better be prepared because those Spanish metallers will mercilessly explode you with their thrashing music.

Best moments of the album: War Broadcast Live and Modern Day Dictator.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Xtreem Music

Track listing
1. War Broadcast Live 3:54
2. Bazookiller 4:19
3. Modern Day Dictator 3:25
4. Five Year Plan (D.R.I. cover) 3:54

Band members
Dave Rotten – vocals
Salva Esteban – guitars
Vicente Payá – bass
Santi “GoG” Arroyo – drums

Album Review – Holycide / Fist to Face (2020)

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A ruthless attack of pure Thrash Metal in its most intense and aggressive form by one of the most talented an fun squads of the Spanish underground scene.

Madrid, Spain-based Thrash Metal platoon Holycide is back with their sophomore album Fist to Face, the follow-up to their awesome 2017 debut opus Annihilate… Then Ask!, and an album that’s likely to become one of the best Thrash Metal albums of 2020. Showcasing a ruthless attack of pure Thrash Metal in its most intense and aggressive form while at the same time being technical and catchy as hell, the excellent Fist to Face, which was recorded at Cadillac Blood Studios in Spain and features a classic, in-your-face artwork designed by Brazilian artist Alberto Quirantes (Akirant Illustration), who has already worked with bands like Blaze Bayley, Hyperion and most of the current art for Iron Maiden’s Legacy of the Beast theme, proves once again that the band comprised of Dave Rotten on vocals, Miguel Bárez and Salva Esteban on the guitars, Dani Fernández on bass and Jorge Utrera on drums is on the right path to stardom, crushing everything and everyone who dares to go against their thrashing way of life.

Intrump might be one of the funniest intros I’ve ever seen in my life, as mocking such “unique” character like Donald Trump is obviously something most metal bands enjoy a lot, setting the tone for Dave and his horde to hit us hard in the title-track Fist to Face, with both Miguel and Salva being demolishing with their riffs and solos while Jorge doesn’t stop hammering his drums like a maniac. After such rebellious start, we have the also great Empty Cyber Life, presenting meaningful and austere lyrics growled by Dave (“You think you’ve got lots of friends on your profile / You think you’ve got a truly successful life / You think you’ve got a great power of influence / You think you’ve got an interesting life to share / Come on, wake up! / You’ve got nothing at all / Everything around you / It’s false”) while the music remains fast, furious and raw as good Thrash Metal always demands.

Dani’s thunderous bass punches and Jorge’s classic beats dictate the rhythm in Vultures, a headbanging tune perfect for enjoying a beer or slamming into the pit where Dave’s raspy, devilish gnarls are effectively supported by the song’s entertaining backing vocals, and they keep blasting pure Thrash Metal  to our ears in Nuclear Fallout, a high-octane creation where Dave is once again bestial on vocals while the band’s guitar duo deliver sheer adrenaline through their incendiary strings. In the acid Trapped by the Crappy Trap you’ll notice how much the guys from Holycide hate all that nasty, fake and boring trap music stuff, with Dave beautifully vociferating the song’s funny words, whereas Mentality Packs is another good thrashing song, albeit not as powerful as the rest of the album, but of course bringing the band’s trademark circle pit-generator vibe and Dave’s infernal growls and roars.

Then Holycide bring forth a vicious cover version for The Aftermath, released in 1988 by a defunct American Thrash Metal band from Los Angeles named Recipients of Death (check the original version HERE), and let me tell you that Holycide’s version sounds just as devastating and evil, bringing elements from the demented sound crafted by Slayer and Exodus in their early years. Miguel, Salva and Dani generate an unrelenting hurricane of Thrash Metal with their stringed weapons in Napalm Sweet Napalm, a brutal tune that couldn’t have sounded faster and more electrifying than this, providing Dave all he needs to shine with his enraged Thrash and Death Metal-inspired screams; followed by Innocent Hate, where the band keeps the pedal to the metal in their thrashing machine showcasing spot-on backing vocals, rumbling bass lines and endless violence flowing from their riffs and beats. Lastly, there’s no better way to end the album than with more pulverizing sounds in the form of Fake Libertarian, where Jorge is vicious and very melodic at the same time on drums while Miguel and Salva bring a touch of insanity to the music with their sick guitar solos.

If you want to thrash like there’s no tomorrow together with the guys from Holycide, you can simply follow them on Facebook and on Instagram, and obviously purchase your copy of Fist to Face (available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, by the way) from their own BandCamp page, from Xtreem Music’s BandCamp page or webstore in CD and other formats and bundles, from Apple Music, from Amazon or from Discogs. There’s no excuse to not put your hands on such high-octane, insurgent and well-crafted album of Thrash Metal, and just in case you don’t support Holycide I guess you know you’ll get nothing more, nothing less than a huge fist directly to your face.

Best moments of the album: Fist to Face, Vultures, Napalm Sweet Napalm and Innocent Hate.

Worst moments of the album: Mentality Packs.

Released in 2020 Xtreem Music

Track listing
1. Intrump 1:32
2. Fist to Face 3:26
3. Empty Cyber Life 4:32
4. Vultures 3:53
5. Nuclear Fallout 3:24
6. Trapped by the Crappy Trap 4:00
7. Mentality Packs 3:58
8. The Aftermath (Recipients of Death cover) 3:33
9. Napalm Sweet Napalm 4:56
10. Innocent Hate 3:18
11. Fake Libertarian 3:49

Band members
Dave Rotten – vocals
Miguel Bárez – guitar
Salva Esteban – guitar
Dani Fernández – bass
Jorge Utrera – drums