Don't be fooled by the creepy John Carpenter inspired intro to lead off track "Vendetta" from the new album The Guillotine by North-Rhine Westphalia act Vulture...with their full length debut, the band more than delivers the speed metal/thrash promise they started with their EP Victim to the Blade and are ready to take the world by storm. Out now on High Roller Records, The Guillotine takes the best of German, Bay Area, and Canadian thrash (think vintage Destruction, Kreator, Voivod, Exodus, Death Angel, and perhaps a touch of Venom & Mercyful Fate) and whips it all up into a venomous stew of chaotic, breakneck metal.
The riffs are savage, the drumming relentless, and the vocals are snarling, at times quite evil sounding. "Clashing Iron" and "Electric Ecstasy" pummel from the get go, the razor sharp riffing, the frantic rhythms, the wild lead guitars, and L. Steeler's high pitched maniacal wailing going for the jugular and never letting go. "Adrian's Cradle" has some terrific harmony lead guitars that wouldn't sound out of place on an early Iron Maiden album, while the majestic, galloping "(This Night Belongs) to the Dead" provides plenty of head banging moments. Another speed metal/thrash gem here is the sledgehammer cut "Paraphiliac", a tune that again will take you back to the glorious mid-80s metal scene, but with some sizzling dual guitar lines straight out of the Thin Lizzy/Iron Maiden playbook. Despite all these references to classic metal bands of yesteryear, The Guillotine still has a modern sound thanks to a stellar production and fantastic pacing from track to track. This album doesn't let up at all, doesn't overstay its welcome at 8 tracks, and displays a young band that deserves your immediate attention.
Track Listing
01 Vendetta
02 Clashing Iron
03 Triumph of the Guillotine
04 Electric Ecstasy
05 Adrian's Cradle
06 (This Night Belongs) to the Dead
07 Paraphiliac
08 Cry for Death
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