The First Attack

The debut album from Brazilian thrashers Suffocation of Soul, “The First Attack,” is an exceptionally engaging and enjoyable start to their career and certainly ranks as one of the more imposing bands to come from the country.

Another explosive retro-thrash band, this exploits many of the same hallmarks that have been found in the genre. There’s the requisite thrashing guitar work here that displays an incredibly wide-range of elements throughout which are increasingly enjoyable as it whips along. While the main element at work is a biting up-tempo slash, there’s more to this as it utilizes a decidedly fast-paced chug pattern for another large section of the albums’ running time to employ a simple, streamlined approach while also managing to introduce a decidedly intriguing mix of technicality into the presentation. This isn’t the typical tone of technicality where it’s all complex riffing and needless wanking to showcase a series of technically-precise patterns but more about offering a wide variety of riffing and absolutely tight, frantic arrangements that are doused with energy all the while being able to shift into various patterns and moods with a grace and fluidity far belying their age and experience. Moreover, there’s a sense of bring the riff-work into a somewhat progressive realm of arrangement on several tracks here that is undoubtedly impressive coming from such a young and should really mean there’s a lot more hidden away in this bands’ arsenal to mix that kind of attack on here.

This manages to utilize the razor-wire style of technicality as well as offering the different moods and changes on display here into a more dynamic range that what's usually accomplished in this sort of genre. This devolves into that technical wankery enough to make it stand-out alongside those up-tempo chugs as a form of added element into their standard attack while maintaining the kind of energy and aggression needed to stand-out in the genre for the most part, and that makes this so engaging as it goes along. This is suitably old-school styled thrash in general spirit and arrangements throughout here as the many different riff-patterns are utilized at the kind of tempo to make this firmly lodged in the golden era of thrash quite readily. That's what really makes this so enjoyable as there's so many different enjoyable and whiplash-inducing riff-work in the guitar rhythms that it all turns the bands' attack into an energy-unleashing slew of rapid-fire riffs, technical paces and furious thrashing that should make them stand out for quite a while.

Alongside the dynamic and explosive riffing, there's plenty of enjoyment to be had. The technicality present in this makes the drumming quite more dynamic and spectacular as this whips through the technically-complex arrangements with a grace and fluidity during these patterns to compliment the riff-work's dynamic tempo and mood changes so expertly that it really showcases a lot of skill-set behind the kit to manage the kind of complimentary work on such an inexperienced effort that's found here. Managing those dexterous rhythms with a hard-hitting grace to match the swooping, dive-bombing riffing patterns is certainly a dynamic feat here as this makes the mood far more imposing and dynamic during those sections. Furthermore, when it's not in the mindset of unwavering technicality this still manages to be a thrash outfit and that manages even more fun here with the ability to feature utterly pounding with furious double-bass fills and non-stop blasting that really keeps the spirit of the old-school firmly in tact while driving along the intensity and fury of the riff-patterns as it barrels along

Really, there’s not a whole lot throughout this album to really get upset in the slightest over. If one was to perhaps look for one, it can be the fact that the band is seemingly too technical for its own good and really just throwing riffs around in slightly chaotic fashion, but that’s not only nit-picking on the album but also incredibly false. The fact that it manages to utilize the different moods and energy alongside each other here is all carefully controlled chaos with this one managing to maintain a fluid, dynamic control over itself by keeping the tighter, technical thrashing for the intro and main arrangements throughout here, which then allows the more frantic riffs to stick out even more as these intense patterns come through more forceful. As well, by managing to mix the old-school style arrangements in regards to its intros and streamlined paces than allows the more modern-leaning tempos and vicious rhythms in place here, this one manages to maintain this kind of energy throughout it’s running time regardless of the technicality or intensity of the rhythm which is highly impressive. By mixing it up with a full slew of dramatic arrangements in here from short, blistering thrashers packed with brutal rhythms and tight performances to lengthy, dynamic efforts that feature blazing full-throttle tempos, relentless musical technicality and a remorseless sense to thrash as well as an extremely progressive instrumental that ranks with the kind of dynamic efforts achieved by bands many years their senior, this not only manages to contain a variety of riffing patterns but also different styles of compositions throughout as well which is one more hard-hitting factor in this one being such a strong, wholly impressive offering altogether.

The first half to this is a rousing, blasting slice of old-school thrash. Intro ‘Urban Cancer’ starts with a spoken word intro that gives way to raging riff-work, tight patterns and furious drumming that careens through blistering tempos with frantic patterns, intense chugging riff-work and varying tempo changes, giving this an immediate, hard-hitting highlight and introducing the band quite well. The more dynamic 'Dead World (Between Fight and Reason)' adopts mid-tempo chugging that blasts along with frantic drumming and screaming leads that flow into raging solo-work and more tight chugging riff-work in the finale, hitting hard enough to make a solid impact while still delivering solid thrash along the way. The title track takes charging riff-work and frantic drumming with tight, furious patterns and intense speed blasting throughout as the furious riffs and urgent rhythms that continually race through the chug-heavy, fiery final half for one of the album's central highlights in technicality-showcasing while generating the kind of thrash that gets a band noticed in the scene as this becomes a central and imposing highlight effort. The more melodically-leaning ‘Heavy Artillery’ uses a moody intro with steady mid-tempo charging chug throughout with melodic rhythms swirling along the tight, swirling leads and generating full-on thrashing riff-work along the final half, mixing their tougher thrashing into a fine sense of melody for another dynamic highlight. Despite generating some impressive energy, the cover of Taurus ' 'Imperio Humano' sounds less intense than their original efforts and sticking out for the simplicity and lack of intensity featured elsewhere, making for an odd mid-album breather the way it’s placed here.

The second half is slightly less intense but still filled with quality throughout. The intense ‘H.T (Unholy Invasion)’ delivers frantic, utterly devastating riff-work with blasting drumming that takes the chaotic pace throughout as the unrelenting energy carries through the melodically-blasting solos into the frantic finale, leaving one impressively brutal track here. Instrumental epic ‘Gates of Sodom’ uses somber guitar-work and gradual drumming which turns into an epic, progressive-minded thrasher with plenty of raging riffing alongside somber passages, discordant riffs and a multitude of mood shifts to match the varying rhythm changes and dynamic riff-work, forcing its way into the album’s central highlights and makes it worth purchase of the album solely for this reason. ‘Prelude to a Nuclear War’ has a sampled intro that turns into explosive thrasher with raging riffing and pounding drumming blasting along the chaotic tempos throughout here which really keep the more intense riffs alongside pounding drum-work, being quite impressive throughout but really just not making enough an impression to last against the others on here. Finally, ‘The Last Way of Madness’ uses a steady, plodding which intro turns into steady mid-tempo chug with charging riffing and dexterous drumming within that mid-tempo pace with more frantic thrashing patterns in the second half, being just as impressive and dynamic as the other tracks and ending things on a grand, spectacular fashion.

This is a wholly impressive and dynamic effort from a global hotspot of the genre that’s destined to generate plenty of impressive work throughout their career if this kind of material can be replicated. With very few flaws and a lot to like, this one is wholeheartedly recommended to fans of the retro thrash revival and thrash in general, while fans of the explosion of South American thrash acts are advised here immediately.