Either you understand what trve Metal is or not. At least that is what I have come to understand over the years, explaining to people the difference between false and trve can often be painstaking. However at the same time what is trve? Generally I come to the conclusion that it’s a case of making up your own rules, for example I love Brutal Death Metal but many would dismiss the genre as false, the same goes for the likes of Nightwish, so can you really win? The answer is no, but in the quest to be holier than thou there is one genre that remains pretty unwavering Black Thrash. An amalgamation of purities the genre to me at least represents the ideas of trve Metal in the best possible way.
Coming from Santiago Chile, Perversor rose from the dead in 2007 and have since begun to carve their groove in the underground. The bands debut Cult Of Destruction has gained some praise in the furrows of Black Thrash giving the band a bit of cult (or should that be kvlt) status. This release was followed after a lengthy wait in 2015 by Anticosmocrator, although this was to a lesser appeal than its predecessor. Alas we reach that all important third album where things can often be make or break. Umbravorous becomes the latest beacon of warfare from Perversor’s arsenal but can it reign down with fire or will it see the band caught in a hail of bullets?
As the album opens it is clear that there is no time to be wasted with fanciful introductions or spoken word segments, instead we soar directly into a Black Thrash assault. Albeit a cacophony of tried and tested ideas that quickly become a touch tiresome. Of course the album borrows themes from Black, Death and Thrash Metal but that isn’t always enough. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy the nature of the sound, Formidable Destino for example represents one of the stronger tracks on the album and a perfect advocate for Perversor’s sound but it is one that if you’re an existing fan of the genre you’ve already heard a thousand times over.
The later part of Umbravorous is a similar background Black Thrash yawn-fest, showcasing no real delights and simply being an Extreme Metal drudge through dull, lifeless passages that have been re-hashed time and time again. In short this album is exactly what is wrong with an awful lot of trve Metal bands, they become so afraid of thinking outside of the box or of any real memorability that they reject these thoughts in favour of recreating a sound from similar acts and then stripping all of what made said act triumphant away.
If you’re after the background noise of your next all Metal party then Umbravorous is your go to. Expect your friends to make no comments upon how good it is and equally expect them to nod along politely rather than sing passionately and head bang with vigour. This album is an inoffensive yet desperately drab snapshot of trve Metal and really doesn’t show off Black Thrash in the best light, if you’re after similar but better artists then go for the likes of Deathhammer and Aura Noir and leave Perversor to dwell as a lacklustre support act.
(4/10 George Caley)
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