Massacre Records – Out Now
Aachen is a tranquil and picturesque Germany city located near the border with Belgium and the Netherlands, where the mineral springs and spa have been enjoyed by figures as important as the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. This is probably the last place one would expect to find an extreme Metal band, but it was here that the Thrash Metal quartet Scornage was born back in 1998.
Having gradually attracted the attention of both fans and media, and winning a few newcomer awards along the way, these four lads have only just released their fourth studio album, entitled “ReaFEARance”.
The quintet’s approach to song writing and music combines elements of classic 80s Thrash Metal with melodies celebrated by the Gothenburg scene and bands like early In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. An approach, you might say, that has been followed by bands that are too many to mention in this review but what makes “ReaFEARance” stand out is the band’s understanding of what constitutes a decent melody and the passion and energy with which they have infused the ten compositions on this album, making it both somewhat predictable, but also thoroughly enjoyable. Add to that Guido Grawe’s scream/growling powerful vocals, which make this a very interesting and musically varied offering.
The first half of ReaFEARance includes the opener “Six Minutes To Fear” and Frozen Throne” which are quite modern sounding and melody driven, inviting direct comparisons with many other bands that have been given the Andy Classen sound-treatment in the past. This ‘imbalance’ begins to be addressed the moment the Saxon-influenced opening riff of “Fury” makes its presence heard and is pretty much preserved throughout the rest of the album.
Though I found all ten compositions to be particularly enjoyable, the two that really stood out for me were “In A Cage” and “The Holy R*pe” – both carrying clear influences from the mighty Sodom, but with the latter featuring a dynamic and quite inspirational performance by Tom Freyer on the drums. The album concludes with the five and a half minute “Stabbed Again” – a very fitting choice as it sums up pretty well all of the album’s musical ingredients.
If you have been in the reviewing game for a while, then it is unlikely the words ‘unique’, ‘special’ and ‘ground-breaking’ would feature in your review of “ReaFEARance”.
If, on the other hand, you accept the fact that the inability of most bands to become genre leaders does not undermine their ability to entertain their audiences, and you like all things Thrash (classic and modern), then Scornage’s fourth full length might just manage to find its way into your record collection. All in all, quite enjoyable.
John Stefanis
Rating: ***1/2 (3.5/5.0)
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