Review : RAZOR OF OCCAM – “Homage To Martyrs”

Razor of Occam - “Homage to Martyrs”
Released March 17, 2009 on Metal Blade

With a lineup sporting two members of Deströyer 666 and the original drummer of DragonHeart (now DragonForce), Razor of Occam already has some pretty damn good credentials. After a long wait (6 years) since their last release (an EP titled “Pillars of Creation”), we finally have a debut album from these blackened thrashers. They very effectively combine thrashened black metal in the vein of Absu with classic straight up thrash like Slayer. In fact, lead guitarist Ian Gray has a style that sounds nearly identical to Kerry King. Though quite short for an album (8 songs, 33 minutes) these guys bottle up tons of intensity and deliver it all the way through. The album is brutal as fuck, but it never sounds disjointed or forced as so many bands these days do. The vocals are your standard black metal screaches, but are considerably more understandable than most bands with said style. My only qualm with this album would be that track 8 is a bit over-long. Though it is the closer, it feels like they were trying too hard to be epic. Other than that, one of my favorites of the year!

Rating: