Trail of Blood

The solo project of Alexandre Rodrigues, Crushing Axes is a no frills death metal project that has been soldiering on for the better part of the past decade. Though the project was formed in 2008, Rodrigues has just unleashed the band’s thirteenth full length album, Trail of Blood. Rodrigues has steadily improved Crushing Axes over the years, both musically and visually. It wasn’t until the release of 2013’s Frozen Soul that the project really caught my attention as a band to really keep an eye on, but Rodrigues has managed to continue crafting some punchy and driving death metal.

Much like the vast discography of the band, Trail of Blood offers primitive death metal with a strong reliance on grooving, yet pummeling riffing. Chunky palm muting and driving power chords offer most of the backdrop for the gruff, throaty shouts, though a few flourishes of melodic accouterments and groovy licks pop up here and there. Some cool yet rather simplistic solos are mixed in, with an experimental-psych-tinged one catching me completely by surprise on the title track. Crushing Axes sounds its heaviest, and, frankly, best, when the riffing alternates between galloping palm muting and driving death metal riffs. The frequent dips into groovy, mid-era Sepultura-tinged moments is a small turn off, but Rodriques always manages to bring things back.

While Trail of Blood might suffer from a bit of sameness flowing throughout its thirty-three minute run time, Rodrigues brought a trio of guest vocalists from other Brazilian bands to change things up: Jairo from Chaos Synopsis; Luiz from Hatematter; and Glauber from Nekrost. It’s a nice change of pace during the album, as Rodrigues employs his gruff, grunting shout throughout. Though these vocalists and a newfound exploration with solos add an unexpected element of surprise, the lack of a live drummer is glaringly evident, with a passable but simplistic sequence of programmed drums. Despite all of this, the songs are streamlined and straight forward, offering a brevity and honesty not often found in death metal these days.

Trail of Blood continues the rapid pace of the Crushing Axes release cycle. It’s probably not going to bring flocks of new fans to the Crushing Axes fold, but the use of three guest vocalists from three relatively popular Brazilian metal acts might turn a few heads. The latest installment fits in nicely with the rest of the band’s catalog, which is all available for free download from the band’s homepage. That being said, it’s a rather safe album at this point in the band’s career, probably on par with Undead Warrior, but it will probably only garner a few passing listens here and there going forward.

Written for The Metal Observer.

Hailing from São Paulo, Brazil is Alexandre Rodrigues' solo project, Crushing Axes, a prolific as Hell, rambunctious death groove onslaught of razor-sharp riffs and stoic tempos which take the listener on a forceful Machiavellian crusade amidst chthonian wastelands; following a couple of EPs and a dozen (!) releases, behold the most recent, Trail of Blood, which careens towards the harsher ire raising edge of the metal spectrum.

Clocking in at 33.5 minutes and comprised of eleven searing cripplers, the average track length is rather short (with the imposing albeit jaunty closer "The Spoilers Of War" as one of the longest with a hundred scorn fueled seconds reserved for "South American Prison", a penal tirade as arresting as the title implies) but this proves advantageous seeing as their unapologetic succession fiercely grips the listener in place with no where to go whilst each dutifully gets its point across by way of resounding, incessantly varying drum beats, lambasting guttural excoriations and crunchy as fuck, at times squelching guitar riffs. Opener "God Says Hate" wastes no time driving the stake home as it opens with ferocious tremolo picking backed by a maniacal blast beat and is soon followed by a super incisive, classic death metal riff which drips with venom and gore; Alexandre's gas guzzling growls increase ten fold the sonic vituperation at hand!

Lead wise, he flies off the handle on "Below Salt" amidst a furious humdinger of a backing riff; he also takes the incendiary social harangue, "Burn Everyone", to a new level. Even the equable (albeit lurid) guitar progression introducing "Trial By Combat" gives way to more six-string depredation in the form of a cranky triplet based Pantera evoking guitar riff complete with caustic trem and further slam-bashing skins. To wit, "Burn Everyone" features hazardous and cool Dimebag Darrell (RIP) style bends as well as a brief fandanglin' lead wind-down.

Worth noting are the guest vocals of Jairo Vaz Neto on "In the Path of Death", Glauber Rico on "Trail of Blood" and Luiz Artur on "Commotio Cordis", which, if I'm to place credence in my by-now rattled n' embattled brainpan, is expunged in Portuguese - a welcome innovation to say the least. Note the uncharacteristically wonky and warm pentatonic soloing on "In the Path of Death" or grisly slapdash choppiness of "Fire Throne", Fans of Obituary, Overkill and Witchery, take stock!

While I found Rodrigues and Nato's growls somewhat similar, Rico's for his part are a lot more demonic and scathing - although scattered somewhat. In any case, the title track is slightly edgier with definite thrash elements tossed about, from squealing licks to lumpier drumming, including a warped, effect infused solo which lends a nice robotic element to its catatonic madness. Good stuff.

Horse galloping rhythms make up the "lingua mater " track which is "Commotio Cordis"; Artur for his part - and I know this is a cliché but forgive me as I'm a death metal greenhorn - gives the cookie monster a good run for his money as his vocals are easily the throatiest of the bunch. The guitar squiggles and arcane leads do a good job of peeling the paint off the walls and I must say, at this point I didn't expected the slick drum ride pattern capping things off. "Deathcult", for its part, rawly (and wryly) makes up for its pedestrian title as the musicianship here is anything but; dig its killer double-bass drum kicks and unyielding face-grater of a riff!

Call me soft but this type of bellicose and bilious bellowing compounded by virulent instrumentation isn't usually my cup of tea. Nevertheless, Crushing Axes' Trail of Blood is perfect for those on the warpath; in my case, inadvertently locking horns with my eighteen (recovery house) room mates. Yessir, it's a great way to curb unduly warranted contumely (i.e. verbal derision and scorn). Pleasantries aside, a tip of my scrunched hat goes to Mr. Rodriguez and his part-time minions for providing such a conducive - albeit trenchant - outlet for my wrath (play it loud!).