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October 12, 2008 |
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01. Accompanied By Death
02. Blankness
03. Culture Of Fear
04. Accelerate Or Die
05. Stamp Of Credence
06. Survival Scars
07. Vulcanus
08. Soul Consumer
09. Both Blood
10. Gates To Nowhere
11. Lost In Black
12. Wasteland
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Straight out of the gate in 2007 and driving through your head like a 12 inch spike comes German Melodic Thrash tyrants FEAR MY THOUGHTS, instantly raising the bar and establishing a new blueprint of standards and expectations that will serve as the litmus for Metal albums the whole year through. Century Media couldn't have picked a better album to kick off the new year, and if "Vulcanus" is any indication of the year to come, we're gonna be some bleeding eared, bruised and battered bastards when all is said and done. At the very least, we're guaranteed 12 tracks of unadulterated aggression and intensity with enough substance to carry us through even the worst dry spells.
Germany has long been hailed as the Thrash capital of the world, an apt title that is bound to remain a fact for years to come thanks to bands like FEAR MY THOUGHTS. As if to cement the evident, "Vulcanus" comes with the ultimate stamp of approval vis-à-vis a guest appearance by Schmier and Mike Siffringer of the legendary DESTRUCTION on "Accelerate Or Die", a song that serves as the ideal example of the sheer dominating perfection that FEAR MY THOUGHTS are capable of. Pummeling the listener with a ballistic drum battery, sleight of hand hook and riff shifts, just a smattering of keyboard overtones for atmosphere, and the menacing chameleon-like vocal animosity of Mathias Ockl, it should come as no surprise when "Accelerate Or Die", "Wasteland" or virtually any other tune leaves you scratching your head and wondering how many collective bionic implants the group has between them.
Nor are FEAR MY THOUGHTS lacking in diversity, as is evidenced in the very OPETH-ian epic "Culture Of Fear", the melodic vocal laced "Soul Consumer" or the manic instrumental legacy of the title track, "Vulcanus". No, herein lies the essence of a band who, three albums into what one would hope will be a lengthy and lustrous musical career, bears all the intelligence, wisdom, capacity and ingenuity to design a near perfect Melodic Thrash masterpiece that stands proud on all Metal fronts and represents everything that is good and right in the evolution of the Thrash that was into the Thrash that is. Modern Thrash is bearing the banner of its legacy with pride, translating influence into inspiration, and the molten Metal masterpiece that is "Vulcanus" is easily one of the brightest points of light in this 21st century constellation.
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