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E-FORCE
The Curse…

Mausoleum (2014)
Rating: 8/10

The Curse… is album number three from French-Canadian power thrashers E-Force who have been rather intermittent as far as albums go. This 11-track affair is the band’s first platter since 2008’s Modified Poison, which in turn came some five years after the Evil Forces debut in 2003.

In a sense, because of the sporadic nature of the band it’s quite difficult to compare their albums, but The Curse… is another durable effort featuring the snarling vocal traits of Eric Forrest, who also had a stint in legendary Canadian metal weirdos Voivod. Forrest formed E-Force back in 2001, and after a few line-up changes due to movement of residence, Forrest has now assembled a robust formation in the hope of taking the E-Force sound one step further.

I’m surprised at how E-Force have slipped under the radar of many; their spiky brand of lethal thrash is most certainly worth a listen and the band’s moniker actually comes from the term Eric was given while in Voivod. Musically, this is another hardy effort said to have been created in worship / temptation of the female form – in fact, the actual title of the opus is said to be The Curse Of The Cunt, and there is also a track with the same title – but overall, this is catchy yet sneering thrash metal that relies on slower melody to get its darkness across.

Forrest is responsible for that grating bass, which enabled him to fit into Voivod so easily. He’s joined by drummer Krof, who is adept at crafting out some seriously gnarly percussion of thunderous appeal. The riffs on this effort are fantastic at times, moving from brooding intensity and faster segments which are always laced with menace – Jérôme Point was a superb musician, but new guitarist Xav gives the band an extra punch with his guitar playing. The opus has Voivod influences littered throughout, but then again there is a varying mix of influences such as Megadeth with its technical prowess – in fact, former Megadeth guitarist Glen Drover makes a guest appearance on this opus.

Fans of E-Force can expect another devastating album that mixes a sense of the threatening with a traditional metal influence which is hidden beneath the mayhem, but throughout the music is tight and accomplished, benefiting from the excellent production. In spite of their skills as musicians, E-Force rarely become a showy beast, simply adding craftier segments when required, enabling tracks such as ‘Perverse Media’, the diverse structures of ‘Awakened’ and the menace of ‘Devoured’ to exist as punchy yet clever beasts free to roam within the framework of the overall sound.

Forrest is more than just an accomplished vocalist; his style shifts effortlessly from razor-sharp snarl to higher wails of despair, and with cuts such as ‘Mass Deception’ and the closing ‘The Curse Of The Cunt’ the band come into their own. These guys should be a major, recognised force within the thrash genre and the fact that they aren’t remains a crime in itself. E-Force has become stronger over each album, and Forrest remains one of the genre’s most potent of frontmen.

Neil Arnold

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