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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

Album Review – Holycide / Annihilate… Then Ask! (2017)

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A fantastic album of old school “Motherfucking Thrash Metal” by an unstoppable quintet from Spain, annihilating everything and everyone that dares to cross their path.

What started in 2004 as an uncompromised Thrash Metal project by vocalist Dave Rotten (frontman of underground Spanish Death Metal act Avulsed) long before the New Wave Of Thrash Metal exploded massively has finally reached its final stage of evolution, culminating in an unstoppable and pugnacious thrashing beast for lovers of bands such as Dark Angel, Infernäl Mäjesty, Atrophy, Coroner and Sacrifice. In other words, it might have taken over a decade for Madrid-based steamroller Holycide to become a reality, but after listening to the crushing music from their debut album, the excellent Annihilate… Then Ask!, you’ll see the wait for this new entity created by Mr. Rotten was definitely worth it.

The intention, from the very beginning, was to create a very aggressive kind of thrash, exempt of commercial touches and focusing on the intense side of this kind of music. However, Dave was able to record the project’s first demo only in 2013, named No Escape, followed by the EP Toxic Mutiation in 2015. Although those releases might not have been exactly what Dave had in mind at first, they certainly fueled him and his bandmates to keep moving forward and become a full-bodied Thrash Metal group in the next couple of years. Featuring a kick-ass old school cover art by Andrei Bouzikov (Municipal Waste, Skeletonwitch, Toxic Holocaust), Annihilate… Then Ask! not only brings forward all the passion of the members of Holycide for the most hostile form of Thrash Metal, but it’s also the first major step in the career of a project that can now be considered one of the best and most electrifying new names of the genre worldwide.

Guitarists Miguel Bárez and Salva Esteban, together with drummer Jorge Utrera, build the stage for Dave and his demented growls in the opening track, a brutal and metallic devastation named Afterworld Remnants, a perfect sample of what the band calls “Motherfucking Thrash Metal”, followed by the insane title-track Annihilate… Then Ask!, presenting more of Dave’s sick screams supported by the reverberating bass by Dani Fernández. This is another classic chant with amazing backing vocals during its beyond-fun chorus, with the album’s crisp production boosting its already belligerent vibe. Dani continues to kick us in the head with his bass while the rest of the band delivers pure Thrash Metal for our total delight in Human’s Last Dawn, in special the awesome job done by the talented Jorge on drums and the old school guitar solos by Miguel and Salva. And following the path of icons such as Exodus, Forbidden and Overkill, the band blasts high-speed, visceral Thrash Metal that will certainly inspire you to slam into the pit in Eager to Take Control, with highlights to the always inebriate and acid growls by Dave.

Motörhead, Holycide’s tribute to the most badass Rock N’ Roll institution of all time is flammable, potent and as thrashy as hell, with an entertaining bonus for the listener in all the references to Lemmy and his crew in its lyrics, while the band delivers unstoppable beats, classy solos and endless aggression to our ears. The next tune, Bonebreaker, is an uproarious, rhythmic and ruthless composition, with the bass lines by Dani and the riffs by Miguel and Salva cutting our skin deeply (the song could have been slightly shorter to keep the music fresh, though); whereas the band’s raging onrush of Thrash Metal goes on in full force with another furious spawn entitled Deserve to be Erased, where Dave continues to be the madman on vocals while Jorge accelerates the music with his frantic and precise drumming. Needless to say, this song should sound fantastic if played live.

Holycide’s cover version for Losers, one of the most famous songs by American Thrash/Speed Metal band Détente, is a thing of beauty, living up to the anarchy and hardcore vibe of the original version, with its guitar solos being exactly what we want in Thrash Metal, while Leather Spikes Chains & Blood carries in its name all elements we crave in good heavy music. Musically speaking, it’s a magnificent feast of slashing riffs, thunderous bass lines, powerful beats and a superb performance by Dave on vocals, supported by the song’s sick backing vocals. Put differently, it can’t get any more thrashing than this. And the album ends at maximum speed and savagery with the merciless tune Back and Forth, a demolishing hymn led by the hellish growls by Dave and Jorge’s intricate and demonic drumming. Well, what are you waiting for to have some beers and get smashed into the circle pit to the sound if this sensational song?

If you’re still not convinced about the absolute awesomeness of the music by Holycide, simply click HERE and, after around 42 minutes of sheer havoc, you’ll certainly bow your head to this amazing Spanish quintet (or at least headbang nonstop to them). Holycide can be reached through their Facebook page, where you can keep updated with everything the band is working on, while Annihilate… Then Ask! can be purchased at their BandCamp, at the Xtreem Music’s BandCamp or webstore, on Amazon or at Discogs. When you have in your hands an amazing album of old school Thrash Metal like what Holycide are offering us, you don’t ask anything. You simply annihilate whoever crosses your path.

Best moments of the album: Annihilate… Then Ask!, Motörhead, Leather Spikes Chains & Blood and Back and Forth.

Worst moments of the album: Bonebreaker.

Released in 2017 Xtreem Music

Track listing
1. Afterworld Remnants 4:13
2. Annihilate… Then Ask! 4:04
3. Human’s Last Dawn 4:43
4. Eager to Take Control 3:24
5. Motörhead 4:42
6. Bonebreaker 4:56
7. Deserve to be Erased 4:47
8. Losers (Détente cover) 3:13
9. Leather Spikes Chains & Blood 4:20
10. Back and Forth 4:00

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

Guest musician
Juancar – guest vocals on hooligan chorus