Fear of Attack

Canada, land of winter, maple syrup, hockey and unrelenting speed metal, that'll smash your skull and suck the brain matter out with a chromium straw. Razor and Exciter set the scene ablaze in those fabled years of denim debauchery and Gatekrashör is here to continue that legacy; keeping the black flame burning and stoking it high with posers for fuel. Taking their name from a classic Razor tune; these guys aren't here to break the mold, transcend the genre or open minds with philosophical concepts. No, they have only one goal; to crash into your eardums at sonic speeds beyond the realms of common decency.

Fear of Attack were Gatekrashör's first true artillery barrage onto the scene. Building on the demo and a couple of splits, the band refined their sound further and the result is this refreshingly old school release that takes no prisoners. Opening with the bombastic "Blastwave", Gatekrashör waste no time in unleashing a furious fulmination of dirty speed/thrash riffs coupled with charging bass lines, pulsating drums and vocals choked full of vulgarity. There's a warm fuzz to the production that suits the music perfectly, practically making the release sound as if it were recorded live; dirty and dissonant are the main orders here, with no fucks given.

Typically with these sorts of modern speed acts, the riffs are the main thing to attract, but I find the drums take the main stage here. Aptly named Jackhammer, the drummer weaves a surprisingly eclectic mix of straightforward speed/thrash drum patterns with a salvo of splashes and crashes that border on insanity, "Speed Metal Hammer" being the prime example of his work. That's not to say the guitar work is sloppy, not in the slightest. Steel Avenger is truly a gifted guitarist and would go on to pen amazing work for Hrom and, especially, Traveler, but these are still early days for him and it shows. The riffs are impressive, especially on "Fear of Attack", but I find they can sometimes get lost behind the rest of the madness Gatekrashör is generating. The thundering basslines provided by Speed Deceiver are savage and man can the bastard hammer those strings; blasting away in a vitriol of fuzz and tank tread distortion and his work is best heard during the guitar solos. These solos are where the guitar shines best and the relentlessly old school nature of their composition, "Heavy Metal Rangers" being the most prominent, really gives Fear of Attack its principal character.

Speaking of character, vocalist Slutfukk (The Powerhead), who has one of the most metal monickers in all of history, oozes a metal charm that is rare to find amongst today's frontmen. His vocal style is more akin to rabid spoken word than any real style of singing, but this only works in the mans favour as he punctuates his litanies of speed with evil laughter, shrill falsetto shrieks and vicious hisses. The overall thematics of Gatekrashör follow a similar vein; the biker sample at the start of "Date with the Devil (Hot in Hades)", the artillery salvo sound effects and the GG Allin style ramblings that precede "Heavy Metal Rangers" all create a collage of street metal warmongers who only seek to devastate their listener into an early grave.

Fear of Attack is a spectacularly nasty speed release and one of the best in the last decade. Fans of Razor, Whiplash, Ranger, Stälker and Speedwolf will find themselves right at home here amongst the ruins of the Canadian wasteland. Anyone looking for lengthy, intelligent, poignant or thought-provoking sounds; look elsewhere, for the level of leather on display here would void your bowels quicker than a switchblade tearing through your abdomen. Gatekrashör is for the few still chasing the true sound of old; riffs, booze, deviltry and the worship of speed. Needless to say, posers need not apply.

You can really tell by listening to this record that the musicians on it were dedicated to the genre they played. This band has everything I like about thrash/speed metal that 99% of modern thrash bands these days lack. That genuine old school feel that many attempt, but fail miserably. If someone put this on and I knew nothing about Gatekrashor, I would have thought this came out in 1983.

Why do bands like this stand out amongst shit like Warbringer and Evile? Well for one, no bullshit over production/digital recording. For death metal and black metal it sounds fine, but for thrash, it just doesn't seem right. Don't get me wrong, the demos that sound like they've been recorded with a tape recorder aren't my thing either. This record sits nicely between the two extremes; being overproduced and sounding like an early Burzum demo. Analogue recording is the only way to go with speed metal, classic genres require classic recording methods!

As for the riffs and overall songwriting; they make me want to do a number of things; mainly consume a copious amount of alcohol and head band violently. I like the melodic aspect in the riffs that you'd find in your classic Iron Maiden riff, but applied in an ugly speed metal setting. The bass playing is another strength in this album, and like how I can hear it well (like in all Iron Maiden songs). The variety in the songs is a real strength for this release, I like how each song kind of stands out on its own! To top off great riff writing are heaps of well executed alcoholized speed metal shred!

I really enjoy Dan's vocals on this EP. They really remind me of Cronos' voice at some points, but at the same time they have their own unique sound. Dan will also throw in the falsetto screams which he does amazingly. To top that off he's got this demonic laugh that he'll do every so often throughout the album, it fucking kills! You can hear it on tracks like Date With The Devil (Hot In Hades). It's really easy to do thrash vocals like this and just sound generic, but Dan really possesses that speed metal spirit, that many lack!

It's bands like Gatekrashor and Baphomet's Blood that have really resurrected classic thrash/speed metal. The most devoted fans of metal will always put out the truest releases, and these guys have really done their fucking homework! If you're a real old school motherfucker that is sick of the stuff that passes itself off as rebirth of thrash, buy this album on vinyl! Hail to the all true speed metal maniacs who keep music like this alive!