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MADICIDE
Madicide

Self-released (2024)
Rating: 7/10

I’m often raving about the UK death metal scene, but now’s the time to focus on some Welsh thrash. With their first full-length album since forming in 2011, Madicide lacks originality but more than makes up for it with energy and enthusiasm.

Musically, it’s melodic and crunchy although lacking thrills, and vocally Ceri Roberts is a standard grunter, the sort who were two a penny between the late 80s and mid 90s. That’s not to say that Madicide is a throwback thrash band, they sit more on the contemporary fence but do provide a few infectious groove slabs which suggest the combo is more comfortable yet often mediocre in the mid-tempo guise.

The obvious hints of Metallica linger throughout but there is also that quintessentially British roughness about the opus too, although this was something which really hindered UK bands of this ilk back in the late 80s (and daft humour) until acts like Evile started aping the classic US bands. Madicide’s debut has been a long time coming and its mood pretty much reflects the ups and downs the band has experienced over time, especially as they split in 2015 only to return six years later.

Opening song ‘Nicotine Love’ slams in like a groove machine from the 00s crossed with an early 90s funkiness, not quite nu-metal but just robust and thick with its riffage, even if the title sounds like something from an old sleaze band. However, it’s this sort of track which showcases some sort of versatility within the ranks as the band approaches an urban grind circa Biohazard or Prong. ‘Killing Machine’ is another example of the tough, crossover exterior. It’s extremely accessible and I just wish some of the flashes of variety as exhibited on ‘…Our King In Yellow’ were more frequent because these guys really do have an eye for subtlety.

As I said previously, pace is not the main ingredient here. Songs like ‘Trapped In Purgatory’, ‘Into The Dark’ and bonus track ‘Death March’ boast fat and steady tempos, so when I hear a bit of pace, as with ‘The Pit And The Pendulum’, I am left gagging for more. Even so, this is a very solid album that is uncomplicated and to the point. I’m thankful it’s not as retro as I imagined it would be as there are too many bands mimicking what came before, and there are signs here that Madicide has finally found its feet.

Although a few songs could have done with a trim, this self-titled outing is most certainly a step in the right direction and, to use another cringe worthy cliché, the future looks bright. Copies of the album can be obtained at the Madicide bandcamp here.

Neil Arnold

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