Miseries

So, I asked a buddy of mine to recommend some less renowned representative of the new wave of American metal bands and by contemporary association or just his fandom, he went the expected speed/thrash-route. Also remembering how I spent an exchange period in Amherst, Massachusetts, he targeted my adopted home state and brought up Boston-born Razormaze (I really dig that name, btw). Having seemingly released two demos since forming in 2007 and then a full-length debut The True Speed of Steel in 2009, they came out with this EP in review last year. 3 songs, very little BS and a good amount of fun in just under 14 minutes. The band’s brand of speed/thrash takes the kind of intensity of early days Exodus and throws in slight technical noodlings and commendable melodic licks and solos runs that recall Testament from their Practice What You Preach-days. Singer/guitarist Alex Citrone’s mostly higher-pitched vocal style may rub those seeking for a manlier gruff the wrong way but I feel it suits the material real well. Think if Zetro Souza had an offspring who was still building that throat to really start tearing ears up but a definite attitude was already present. The rhythm section is solid all the way and special props for the production job that really has that bass clunking high in the mix – great success. The songs range from the straight-ahead thrashing of Karma In/Karma Out (a nifty opening scream and slight early Megadeth-vibes in some riffs and the intro widdling, not to mention a catchy chorus) to the bit more forgettable stomp of Creed of Absolution (although I really dig the riff leading into the first verse) and finally Miseries of the Flesh, which misleads you nicely with the groovy intro before stepping on the pedal for rapid firing. All in all, Razormaze’s Miseries accomplishes what an EP first and foremost should, which is make me really interested in the full-length record that should follow this package. Check out the tunes from their Myspace or Bandcamp-page and big up these Beantown boys!