01. Hell on Earth (2014)
02. Blasphemy (2014)
03. Whom You Have Never to Say His Name (2014)
04. Rider from Hell (2014)
05. Embraced by Religion (2014)
06. Witch, Hell Below the Belly (2014)
07. Midnight Confession (2014)
08. Torquemada (2000 Invasion - Demo)
09. Cyclone Pt. IV (2000 Invasion - Demo)
10. Hell on Earth (2013 Long Version)
11. Midnight Confession (2013 Long Version)
12. Embrion, Witch Below the Belly (1989 Single)
13. Inquisición (1989 Single)
14. Hell on Earth (1989 Single)
15. Midnight Confession (1989 Single)
Comment:
CD that commemorates the 25th anniversary of the mythic 2nd album "Hell On Earth" from 1990. Re-recorded with the current lineup, but with a more powerful sound, better arrangements and above all, faster!! Includes the demo "Invasion" from year 2000 and 6 more bonus from unreleased alternative versions of some original album songs. Genuine Speed/ Thrash Metal from the old school!!
Han pasado unos meses desde su edición, pero por fin ha llegado a la redacción de Necromance el mítico disco “Hell On Earth” de los barceloneses FUCK OFF. Esta vez regrabado y revistiado. Regrabado, con nueva portada, tocado más rápido y con nuevo orden de canciones ya que sólo aparecen los temas compuestos completamente por el incombustible Pep Casas (también en BARBARIAN). Con emoción y curiosidad le doy al play. Veamos (escuchemos, mejor dicho) el resultado:
La primera gran diferencia, obviamente, es la calidad de la grabación. Muy superior a la realizada en los míticos The Old Smithy Recording Studios, aunque deliberadamente, supongo, conserva un sonido clásico. También se nota el aumento de velocidad, pero no hay que asustarse… no es que hayan cambiado los temas y los hayan convertido en black primerizo ni nada de eso. Simple y acertadamente le han dado, digamos, más “vidilla”.
El disco se abre con “Hell On Earth” que suena como un tiro. Thrash de la vieja escuela muy influenciado por el heavy metal que engancha enseguida. El segundo corte es “Blasphemy” que es mi favorito, sin duda. Un trallazo con un riff principal que consiste en una galopada thrash en toda regla, muy “Kill ‘em All”. Es imposible no acompañar al grito de “blash-phe-my!”. La tercera pista es “Whom You Have Never To Say His Name” con un estribillo sencillamente brutal. Le sigue “Rider From Hell”, la que quizás sea la canción que contiene las influencias heavy metal más descaradas y en dónde la voz destaca sobre el resto de cortes y el estribillo, como no, muy pegadizo. “Embraced By Religion” es thrash primigenio. Básico, rápido y peligroso. El siguiente corte es “Witch, Hell Below The Belly”. Un principio pesado y brutal da paso a una sucesión de riff cortantes y una letra “escupida” sobre el micro que sólo da tregua en el interludio y el final del tema, que vuelven a tener una pegada más brutal y pesada. El séptimo corte y último de la revisión del Lp de 1989 es “Midnight Confession”, que es la definición del speed-metal bien hecho.
Los siguientes ocho cortes son todo un regalo de bonus tracks extraídos de demos y singles. Destacaría “Torquemada” (¡cantada en español!) y “Cyclone Pt.II” como rarezas por ser muy, pero que muy heavy metal e “Inquisición” que también rehúye del inglés para la letra.
Buen trabajo y buena forma de hacer llegar este clásico al público actual. Como plus adicional tiene un buen puñado de bonus tracks. ¿Qué más se puede pedir? No me cabe la menor duda de que FUCK OFF en 1989 hubieran llegado a niveles estratosféricos si en lugar de ser españoles hubiesen sido ingleses, alemanes o norteamericanos. Es un discurso ya manido pero no deja de ser verdad.
As you might expect from their chosen name, FUCK OFF are a thrash metal band. Originally formed in 1986, the Spaniards have been through many line up changes, name disputes and hiatus' in the past 29 years. Their new album "Hell On Earth II (Revisited & Faster)" is a re-recording of their 1990 release, "Hell On Earth", accompanied by plenty of bonus tracks - an assortment of demo versions, alternate versions and single versions, of tracks both on and not on the main album. With a sound that is surprisingly melodic, yet still harsh and aggressive (as you'd expect of the genre), the band have a short, sharp and in-your-face record on their hands here!
From the outset, it's clear that FUCK OFF are talented songwriters - they don't just rely on speed, as many thrash bands seem to. Riffs are memorable, drums, bass and guitar parts intertwine in a refreshing way, and instrumental sections offer plenty of tonal and rhythmic diversity! It feels invigorating and exciting!
One slight problem is the vocal performance. Initially, the vocals can be grating and irritating (in the same way nails down a chalk board are). However, as with all vocalists who have a more unique style, repeated listens benefit the record hugely, as you quickly become accustomed to the style! What's more, you begin to see how, without such a vocal performance, the end result would suffer. The vocals being harsh, angry and extreme allows the guitars, bass and drums to verge more towards a classic metal sound, with the overall vibe remaining one that is definitely thrash!
The core of the album comes in at approximately 25 minutes and consists of 7 songs, making for a pretty intense listen! The bonus tracks add some nice depth, and are a good way of opening up more material to new listeners. A highlight is the demo version of "Torquemada", as it's always nice when a band doesn't feel they have to sing in English. "Cyclone Pt. IV" is a nice little instrumental more in the style of traditional heavy metal, and adds a nice bit of variety into the mix.
Any band that goes by a name like FUCK OFF knows they will put some listeners off before they've even pressed play. However, the band overcome this capably - "Hell On Earth II (Revisited & Faster)" is intense, exciting and unrelenting. With a musical style that sits nicely between traditional heavy metal and thrash, but most definitely with an extreme, aggressive tinge to it, there is likely something here for most metal fans.
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