A View of the Other Side

Explicit Hate's A View of the Other Side follows a similar pathway of what Death was doing in Florida at the time. Instead of bringing the melding of death- and thrash-metal to a more primitive standstill. They instead use a fair amount of progressions. Mixed at the same time with a hefty and aggressive side. Even though I don't think they shadow or sound like the aforementioned Floridians, and both being continents and countries away, but both follow a similar train of thought during a similar evolving or devolving period.

The production is surprisingly good for late 80's Brazil, with plenty of clear definition between the instruments. While maintaining a soul-draining disposition that places curses on each instrument with raw satisfaction. Like crunchy crusting around the pie, displaying a well-rounded center, wet-splashed saucing, without cheese and layered with plenty of toppings, and cooked to the right degree. Oh, sorry, we were talking about the album. The production comes together and further displays the band's tightness. There is enough space between the instruments. Where some other Brazilian bands weren't so fortunate with a deep, dark basket, producing pissed off hissing cobras, ready to puncture your unfortunate ears. Explicit Hate produces an uncomfortable, sweating closeness of a prison shower scene, full of bare masculine display and unquestionable certainty. Explicit Hate comes out unscathed, but some other bands weren't so fortunate. Dropping the soap would be the equivalent of the drummer dropping his stick and screwing up the whole back-end of the operation. Damnit, that take is going to cost us money, money your ass can't afford!

The music is right at a death-thrash peak; displaying savage choruses; mostly shadowed but occasional roaming bass lines; along with all-around competent musicians. The guitarist uses plenty of higher pitched and quick noted riffs. Sometimes showing tight and technical proficiency. And at other times displaying fierce and flowing headbangable catchiness. Blending higher single notes with lower chugging and deeper power chords as well. With so much hate, he feels its pleasant to share some reverbed induced acoustic sections too. And a fair amount of solos throughout the album. The drummer doesn't know stop from go. Never hearing of a red light, stop sign, and I can imagine him having a stop-free video play back machine. And probably sees green lights wherever he goes. Spotting his vision into a maddening frenzy, which when placed in front of a drum set, brings his life-afflicted feeling to perfect translation. His cymbals and tom drums get the full frontal force of this obscure metal-blessing. He shows off some quick tom rolls, and some explosive, hard-hitting repeat cymbal fills. The main vocalist uses a controlled but higher pitched retching, with a simultaneous scream and shout. He uses an occasional repeated chorus section in the same voice, so you can remember that he probably doesn't like you either, over and over again. Forget the band name already? These are mixed with hideous back-up screams by the drummer as well. Also the main vocals uses a more higher pitched shout and with a painful sounding passing of something or a potentially dangerous Something that has grown inside of him. He sounds like he is building and building, like someone is filling a hot air balloon with too much air. Maliciously expecting a diabolical explosion that would make a glorious, blazing and crashing Zeppelin plummeting to earth, look like a child guiding a toy structure into his sand play pen instead. And instead of standing by to help, the vocalist spits hissing venomous discontent and bars his crooked, spiked teeth. As the rest of the Explicit Hate gang flashes the back of motor-cycle jackets with big middle fingers etched, carved, splashed and slashed with a conscious close relation to this cold sentiment.

Getting a view from this side of Explicit Hate would make one want to shutter away, living a life in previous peace. This non-peace offering album finds some progressions in death-thrash. Locating a balance to not make unnecessary technicalness show its ugly face. But blending all of this together with a savage grace. The song 'Insanity Future' has a beginning that resembles some heavy-metal flair, mixed with a break into raw death-thrash energy, then the same more up-beat sounding riff at the end that was repeated in the beginning. That is the only song that doesn't flow with the rest in my opinion. But it isn't so distracting of heavy-metal that you would want to turn it off either. Just them deciding to pick a specific track and show some older influences, mixed with his vocals and an aggressive pick-up in the middle. They also throw in a few, although fitting, acoustic parts, with a stage-sounding reverbed presentation. The main music shifts between death-thrash paced mids and highs. Locating a versatility to make this album into an entertaining whole. It's too bad that this was the only full-length release by Explicit Hate. Otherwise, you would think they would like to go on hating their fans, or just people in general, over and over again.