HELGRIND “Insurrection”
By Dr. Abner Mality
It doesn’t take much to be called a “legend” in today’s music scene. Not familiar with HELGRIND but the one sheet tosses around the “legendary” description with great abandon. Do these guys deserve the tag like SLAYER, EXODUS and KREATOR do?
Well, they don’t lack for energy, that’s for sure, but the thrash on “Insurrection” tends to be rather generic. “Massacre the Suffering” strikes with extreme prejudice but wow, could the beginning be any more like “Angel of Death” without being an actual cover? SLAYER is definitely a huge influence on HELGRIND, but the band they actually remind me of is Boston’s long gone WARGASM. Just listen to “Not My Enemy” and see if you don’t agree. The dirty grinding chug of that track makes it one of the best on show here.
No real major complaints with the record other than its extreme lack of individual identity. Songs like “Bitter End” and “Helgrind” are satisfying in a meat and potatoes way. “Breeding Hate” had an odd mid-section with soaring keyboard tones almost like a European power metal album and the vocals on “Raise The Flag” were so nasal, I wonder if singer Paula Nelson had a clothespin on their nose.
HELGRIND will definitely satisfy most thrashers with this rough and raw exhibition, but calling them “legendary” smacks of the ridiculous.