Contra Omnes

After the absolute mindfuck that was Act of Retribution, Bestial Invasion gets even more insane. There are lots of dissonant screeching and tapping on the guitars that successfully achieve that futuristic/mechanical atmosphere of Watchtower, except Bestial Invasion is a thousand times thrashier than Watchtower. If you like old school tech-thrash (Watchtower, Toxik, Coroner, Forbidden, 87-90 Kreator), you will assuredly love this album.

The production is more high-budget here, with the drums specifically sounding more mechanical than on the previous album. I like that, since it suits the material like a glove. The album sounds like it is played by time travelling robots from the 50th century, while never sounding artificial or sterile.

The song are even more complex, with each one smoothly transitioning from slow to fast and vice versa seamlessly and brilliantly. I promise you: every tempo change on this album will greatly enhance the growth of your neurons. The amount and quality of riffs on this album is beyond the roof. Mind-fucking tech exercises; straightforward palm-muting; frenzied tremolos, you name it: Bestial Invasion provides it in whatever tempo or context you may desire it. The leadwork is also significantly improved; being much more power metal-ish than on the previous album.

Inception gives you a good idea of what the album sounds like: tons of awesomely atonal/mechanical riffing, Forbidden-worshipping vocals, a fuckton of tempo changes and enough power to launch the Moon hard enough to orbit around the Sun and return back to the Earth's orbit as it used to be. Nevermore follows suit, and also has an insane flamenco solo in its second half. Prisoner of Miserable Fate is a bit more atmospheric and laid back for the first minute and a half, before the band decides they'd rather thrash your ass out.

Camera Obscura is my pick for the best song on the album. The intro, the riffs, the vocals, the bass, it's all fucking amazing. The verse riff in particular is out of this world; swirling all around with such velocity and intensity. And be prepared to BANG YOUR FUCKING HEAD at 2:11. Absolutely mindfuck-tacular.

Enigma really is an enigma: a pointless minute and a half bass only track which is okay, but nothing special. Thankfully, it leads right to Repudiating the Power; the most uplifting, energetic and melodic song here, mostly due to its Gamma Ray/Iron Savior styled solos. It has a cheesy outro, buy hey: the rest of the song is badass. Let them goof around a little bit. They deserve it, because the next two songs are the most epic ones this album has to offer. Zodiac is a marching anthem with an absolutely beautiful, psychedelic and slightly post-rockish tapping section at 2:56. From the fourth minute onwards, it morphs into top-class power metal that has blown my mind even more than the rest of the album, which is by no means a small feat. Caligula is also marching and a bit more ominous and gloomy. The chorus sounds like a finale to a journey, and the keyboards (I think those are keyboards, even though no keyboardist is credited on this album) add so much to that feel.

There is only one pointless cover this time: Destruction's Thrash Attack. Both the vocals and the numerous licks end up as excessive and ruin what would be a pretty good cover. Other than that, this is yet another hugely underrated modern thrash classic you simply must get your hands on. Or download, whatever you prefer.