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VOMITOR
Pestilent Death

Hells Headbangers (2018)
Rating: 8.5/10

Over 20 years in the business seems a strange fact when applied to a band that formed in the late 90s; oh where has the time gone? Within that time, Australian mob Vomitor have only released four full-length albums, but have been far from inactive what with numerous demo recordings and split projects keeping them busy.

So we come to Pestilent Death, which emerges some six years after 2012’s The Escalation, and on offer are seven tracks of expected thrash mayhem consisting of razor-sharp riffs, scathing percussive explosions and frontman Death Dealer’s rather effective sinister slurps and sneers.

‘Tremolation’ kicks the record off, where the dark, sinister burst of scything riffing indicates a band that has yet to let up in their homage to 80s worship. The Teutonic blazing marries well with a more underground 80s feel where all manner of influences spring to mind, whether in the form of Dark Angel, Slaughter, Slayer, Sodom et al. But this is some really nasty, ferocious thrash, full of conviction.

What’s clear is that Vomitor are becoming leaders when it comes to that “new wave” of “old school thrash”, and what better way to prove this than with that opening heap of venomous thrash? The scathing, sneering feel and cutting production also hints at the South American underground scene while vying for attention with blackened thrash offspring.

The same can also be said for the deadly chug of ‘Roar Of War’, which comes equipped with the grating leads as Hellkunt comes bashing and battering his way through on those tumultuous drums. This is arguably one of the best tracks I’ve heard this side of 2000 such is its thrashing ability and maturity. Hell, if you’d heard this in 1986 you’d have been salivating over your Bermuda shorts.

And the thrills and spills continue. ‘Abracadabra’ again showcases the weight and fizzing electricity of the guitars, and this remains one of the fastest tracks you’ll hear this year. The song is a blitzkrieg of howling, blasting drums and that hectic bass style of Anton Vomit, while vocally it’s those hissing, vicious serenades of sickness punctured by the occasional maddening wail that’ll have you hooked up on this barbed mesh of grating, frenzied rhythms.

‘Manic Oppression’ builds nicely with its thunderous percussion and grinding guitar traipse before we all dive in for the thrash riot. Meanwhile, ‘Tremendous Insane’ starts like a chainsaw before letting rip in such a horrifying frenzy that your ears feel as if they’ve been put through a blender; it’s like Motörhead meets Sodom but at 1000 mph, a rancid, oil-soaked and above all speeding ball of frustrated, stressed evil.

Up next is the gruesome hammering of the title track with its scorching guitar rattle. There is more melody with this one as the vocals lend themselves more to a sinister scowl, but it still doesn’t stop the leads from parasitically combing their way through your battered skull, before the final bullet of ‘Hells Butcher’ comes rolling in on black waves of crusted blood and blackened wickedness. Again there’s a mid-tempo trudge, but also a real freshness and vigour within the production. The loose yet concentrated guitar tone is as effective as the executioner’s blade as this chaotic combo brings to end a volatile yet rewarding return that’ll have you vomiting razors at the aftermath.

Neil Arnold

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