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CRITICAL DEFIANCE “Rivers Of Blood”
CRITICAL DEFIANCE “Rivers Of Blood”
By Lord Randall
From Brazil’s VULCANO and MX, as well as PENTAGRAM (Chile), there's just something about South American thrash that brings a fire and intensity rivalling mid-‘80s Germany in raw passion and speed. After three full lengths on Unspeakable Axe Records, Chile’s CRITICAL DEFIANCE returns under the banner of Dying Victims Productions with “Rivers Of Blood”.
Alright, now this is what I’m talking about. Even had I never heard the quintet, they would already have earned points from me for “Red Omen”. Don’t call it an “intro” in the same sense of disjointed, sound-effect mucking about, or some attempt at sonically recreating the rape of the malevolent cave beast or whatever most bands call intros. This subtle, superbly played dual guitar piece does exactly what an opening track should. It’s not “building up to” something. It’s full, complete, and an ideal beginning to the album. Oh, but then, strap yourselves in, because “Innate To Kill” is a firestorm of divebombs, rhythm artillery and chaotic early KRISIUN rage that surrenders no ground.
While “Rivers Of Blood” may slow the pace a bit, the urgency and vitriol with which CRITICAL DEFIANCE approaches their thrash/speed hybrid does. Not. Let. Up. Ye who seek breakdowns, chugga-chuggas to chug-a-lugga to, leave the hall. Hyper-melodic yet vampyric solos swarm like bats overhead. Virtuosic and culturally significant at its start, “Valparaiso” is both a love letter to the band’s home and naked, grim look at the crime and blight that fill its streets, a history of a city, of a culture in under eight minutes. For any who write off metal as rudimentary in the skill of its practitioners (thrashtitioners?) listen to “Valparaiso”, then kindly do fuck off.
“Ceremony Of The Final Call” leads us into the bass-led assault of “Glorify War”, relentlessly pounding, advancing, advancing over all to conquer. “Rivers Of Blood”, indeed, and a strong contender for many a year-end list to be sure. Any extreme metal fan who has a chance to pick up this record and doesn’t, it’s your loss.
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