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RAPTURE
Paroxysm Of Hatred

Memento Mori (2018)
Rating: 9.5/10

Well, this slab of hasty death / thrash from Greece is vying for my attention, and could well be up there at the end of 2018 as one of the best releases.

Forming out of Athens back in 2012, this particular Rapture has had a healthy rise, issuing a few EPs and in 2015 a full-length debut platter Crimes Against Humanity. But with Paroxysm Of Hatred they’ve most certainly upped their game and created a fantastic extreme metal opus of varying, engaging tempos and, above all, memorable songs which somehow bridge the gap between, say, Kreator, Slayer, Dark Angel and Obituary.

Infectious melodies, blistering speed, frothing vocal capabilities, technical prowess and deathly surges make this record an entertaining expression of utmost aggression. One moment the confident combo sound like some Floridian death metal act, but then transform energetically into a Teutonic thrash posse, combing the late 80s to early 90s era. This is mostly due to those feral vocalisations courtesy of guitarist Apostolos Papadimitriou.

However, the greatest quality this sophomore outing has is its ability not to sound like a generic homage to the halcyon days. Instead, this record feels sincere; a genuine blast from the past with razor-sharp contemporary production. But there’s no gloss here to polish over the aggression. Instead, we get a pulverising host of tracks that fuse together the jolting bass shudders of Stamatis Petrou, the hectic but measured percussion of Giorgos Melios and that edgy, belligerent and salivating twin axe attack of Papadimitriou and Nikitas Melios.

The outcome is a seething, heavy, and at times dehydrated thrash surge where tracks such as ‘Thriving On Atrocity’ are presented as brutal, fierce and fast compositions. But due to the varying influences there’s always that element of surprise – the band shifting between gears so often as the scathing vocal spits inject the ears.

Thought-provoking melody punctuates the wall of speed, chugs are pierced by cool, swirling solos, and San Francisco Bay Area chunkiness toys with summery death metal. The aforementioned ‘Thriving On Atrocity’ is a perfect example, as is ‘Vanishing Innocence’ which is an out and out head-crusher with its devastating speed and aggression – again taking us back to the glorious era of toxic thrash expression.

And those feverish blasts keep on coming, wildly sewn together by tremolo picking of the highest, maniacal order as ‘Redemption Through Isolation’ comes speeding like a bullet, fronted by those snappy vocals. While ‘Paroxysm Of Hatred: Procreation’ is a blistering, sonic tour de force of hammering precision, conjuring up images of old violent Kreator laced with that scorching technicality.

Somehow this bustling mass of thrash hymns remain accessible, even through the barbaric fury with its fizzing riffage and most notably the drums; Giorgos Melios hurtles like a man possessed throughout this opus, frantically clattering away but in such a tight and precise manner.

As the likes of ‘Misanthropic Outburst’, ‘Taken By Apathy’ and ‘Quintessence Of Lunacy’ rush by in a frenzy, I’m reminded also of bands such as Protector and Sadus who successfully blended ferocity with barbaric melody. The album closes with ‘Paroxysm Of Hatred: Revelation’, which at times encroaches upon more extreme climes as that spiteful vocal boost worms its way through another set of scathing words.

That balance of hostile, speedy death thrash most certainly transports us back to that youthful, energetic time. In fact, as I spin this opus for the umpteenth time I feel that what I’m hearing is some lost and forgotten gem from that era. And that is a compliment to its class.

Neil Arnold

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