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SCAREFIELD
A Quiet Country

Self-released (2024)
Rating: 6/10

This self-produced debut full-length album is the creation of duo Markus Kristoffersson and Simone Manuli, hailing from Sweden and Italy respectively. The platter comes hot on the heels of December 2023’s Nightmare Stories EP and is a melodic mix of thrash and power metal.

I’m not sure if it’s the production, but even with its more aggressive numbers (‘Dead Center’ and ‘Altar Of Fear’) the record feels a touch lightweight; I’m imagining US power metal married with Meliah Rage and Metal Church, but with less conviction. It’s all very accessible and the riffs are nice and crunchy, but if this had been released in 1987 it would have sunk without trace. Even so, it is a strangely compelling opus that at times sounds like Metallica at their tamest, especially when ‘Ancient Evil’ kicks proceedings off.

The album remains fluid but pleasant and I won’t be forgiven for saying that the rather formulaic vocals sound like Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger if he was trying out thrash! ‘God Of Terror’ sounds somewhat forced, but even with its speed it just sounds limp. However, the band does try to vary its sound, particularly with the serrated rhythm of ‘Spectre’ and the balladic ‘Always’ which prompted me to reach for the vomit bag. Meanwhile, ‘Goodbye’ just sounds too modern and too glossy, although I don’t want to take too many chunks out of what is a rather simplistic thrashy outing with groove elements. But five listens is more than enough for me.

Neil Arnold

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