It’s been a while since we heard from Sweden’s Antichrist, their live appearances on these shores are always fun and filled with a touch of good friendly violence for the crowd. Once again, a new logo comes with a new release, but the music is pretty much business as usual with fast and furious influences via early Slayer, Morbid Saint and other such cult teachings. The rabid starter ‘Savage Mutilations’ sets the tone whilst ‘Under the Cross’ continues on the satanic end of the thrash spectrum. By the time ‘The Black Pharaoh’ comes to you though, then there is some variation with some melodic guitar pieces which changes your reaction, but still fits rather nicely.
‘Burned beyond Recognition’ stands out for me, there is more depth rather than pure speed although the 10 minutes epic thrasher ‘Chernobyl 1986’ is very special. There’s not much else to separate the other tracks, they have a similar stance and pace as you would come to expect with this band. There’s still rawness in places and the production is full on raging. It doesn’t stand out as much as I thought it would, granted I love it, but I perhaps have fallen into the trap of wanting too much rather than accepting the well renowned quality that Antichrist produce and have done so in the past. I am pleased that with a label change, this hasn’t disrupted the band’s style, this is still as familiar, they’ve stuck to their guns and rabid thrash fans will be rewarded in due course once this gets out in the big bad world, a world that I am sure Antichrist are happy to be in, except for it not being the year 1986!
(7.5/10 Paul Maddison)
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