Report of Exploitation

Yes, there’s such a thing as a Paraguayan metal scene. Not many people have heard of acts coming from this small country as the concentration has always been on their bigger brothers (and also neighbours) like Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile. One name that should by all means be remembered is Rawhide, one of the pioneers of the metal movement over there, and the first genuine thrash metal band on Paraguayan land. The guys released two demos of pretty cool aggressive thrash/proto-death in the late-80’s crossing Sepultura’s “Beneath the Remains” with Gammacide’s “Victims of Science” although we can’t talk about any tangible influences from those two albums since the Rawhide output was released at around the same time, if not even earlier. In other words, the band were already an original bunch with ideas that were siding with those of the big names on the scene.

However, the new decade saw the guys under a new name, Corrosion, still full of determination which eventually paid off since in 1993 their full-length was out. One would naturally have high expectations from it based on the good music from the demos, but even the most optimistic would be thoroughly amazed by what the band have achieved here. This is clearly one of the better progressive/technical thrash metal albums to ever come out of South America alongside the works of Brazilian visionaries like Holocausto (“Negatives”, 1990), Acid Storm (Biotronic Genesis”, 1991), and Butcher (“Astral karma”, 1993); a classic wonder which would have perfectly fitted into the technical/progressive thrash metal wave that was bearing some nice fruit in Germany at the same time.

The instrumental “Zeitgeist” opens the album in a brutal blitzkrieg manner, 2-min of sophisticated, semi-technical aggression which flows into “Genesis of Terror”. That same song has one of the most outlandish beginnings in metal history: a sorrowful King Diamond-like falcetto wails “Tomorrow, tomorrow…”, already setting up the tone for something most unusual; the very high-strung vocals remain, but there’s much more to be savoured from the singing department like a rough deathly timbre and a pretty cool mid-ranged clean throat. All the three styles are featured on almost every track creating a lot of drama, and are performed by just one person, the name Jose Florentin, the same one who sang on the Rawhide demos although on those he never revealed his versatility sticking to his death metal-like tirades. Back to the “Genesis”: this cut develops like a leftover from the Rawhide demos with intense fast-paced riffs and slower heavier build-ups.

“Deforested Kingdoms” starts with chainsaws buzzing deafeningly obviously to signify the destruction of the Amazon Jungle, followed by engaging semi-galloping thrashing which is transformed into a more brutal proto-death stroke in the middle. “Castle of Sir Jan” continues with the gallops recalling the 80’s American power/speed metal heroes, but watch out for a brilliant balladic, lead-driven mid-break and some inspired technical riffage in the second half. “Frenetics” unleashes a cavalcade of intense technical guitars for a start before more intense fast-paced sections arrive the latter carved by sudden jarring escapades. “Listen to Your Conscience” will also make you listen to the enchanting balladic intro and the volcanic doomy passage after it until the coming of the twisted technical riffs and the memorable chorus.

“Noema” is a heavy galvanizing thrasher staying mostly on the mid-paced side, excluding the lead-driven section where things speed up quite a bit. “Hitch-Hiking to Death” thrashes with force with galloping riffs taking turns with denser, more technical strokes the leads wrapping it on in a more sweeping fashion. “Signs of Corrosion” lets the bass do the talking for a while although the bass player has been supplying the background quite handsomely all the way through, the band later introducing great melodies with Florentin adding more to the flower… sorry, beauty with a most bizarre high-pitched wail. “Tesay Ro” closes the album in a more impetuous death metal-ish way with faster-paced sweeps taking turns with eccentric slower riffage ala Mekong Delta, the contrasting symbiosis working fine the whole time.

Like many talented acts who appeared in the 90’s with a strong desire to keep the flame of the old school alive, Corrosion weren’t given a chance to shine during the groovy/grungy plague, and their split-up was inevitable. If they had voted to relocate to Europe or North America, like some of their contemporaries (Sepultura, the Chileans Necrosis, The Chasm from Mexico, etc.), they may have found an interested label (Mekong Delta’s Ralph Hubert’s Aaarrg Records, to give one example) to support their hyper-active, very eventful exploits. Their only opus remains a unique achievement on the field, and one of the truly obscure gems from South America to be dug out and presented to the fanbase’s attention worldwide. Rawhide’s two demos were released and brought to the spotlight in 2012 as a compilation; so maybe the next report from one’s ardent excavation work could be the one of exploitation.