Mind Manipulation

The four-piece newcomers Mortal Vision may hail from Ukraine, yet their influences point to the best that German and Brazilian thrash had to offer as the ‘80s became the ‘90s. Mind Manipulation breathes heavy under the weight of Persecution Mania and Beneath the Remains, almost to the extent that I sometimes forget who I’m listening to. The sonic qualities of this debut should be extremely familiar to fans of Sodom’s first thrashing exploits, even down to the momentum of the bass guitar and the hidden throatiness of the vocals; in a word, the whole thing stinks of nuclear winter, right down to the snippet of a ballistics report that introduces the title track. However, the emphasis on riffs points to Sepultura, occasionally bringing to mind particular constructions already used.

Mind Manipulation is thus best taken as a very capable homage to some of the most satisfying thrash albums from back in the day. Those expecting novelty, variation, or jokey themes will be sorely disappointed, but Mortal Vision should be a treat for thrash fans who want to hear sharp and brutal riffing hitting remorselessly while gruff vocals and pummelling rhythms sweep over them like automated gunfire. At 8 cuts and only 33 minutes, Mortal Vision pack their debut with quality and keep gunning until the end, with only some disdainful melodic solos for comfort. No one song absolutely stands out from the rest, which makes for admirable consistency but nothing in the way of anthems, just pure moshpit fodder. And quite often, that’s enough for thrash metal to succeed. Truly a great first shot that stings just like the classics.


Originally written (in edited form) for Metalegion #10 - www.metalegion.com