Another knockout from Scordatura!
Six years after their last release, Daryl Boyce (vocals, Party Cannon, ex-Repulsive Vision), Owen McKendrick (guitars), Tam Moran (drums), and Liam McCafferty (bass, ex-Dominicide) have signed with Everlasting Spew Records to unveil their fourth album, Led into Oblivion.
Doomed to Fate offers an apocalyptic introduction before throwing us into the fray with Led into Oblivion, the highly aggressive title track that hits hard with a furious old-school vibe, blending Brutal Death Metal elements with a touch of screeching Thrash while the vocalist lets loose. Everything about this track seems to urge us to headbang as the musicians pound away at a brisk pace, and then, after a very brief pause, Existential Termination unleashes its torrent of riffs, passionately picking up where its predecessor left off. Blast beats and aggressive rhythm sections follow one after another amid the screams, just as on Echoes of a Fractured Mind, which in turn takes over and hits us with the same energy, not even letting us catch our breath until the very last second, and immediately segueing into Oppressed/Repressed, the next track. The frenzied rhythm perfectly fuels the onslaught the band unleashes with heavy riffs, slowing down nonetheless to become even heavier, much like the intro to A Manic Indoctrination, which follows suit with a slower but equally catchy approach. There are macabre and unsettling touches as the band tramples over us, then a sample signals the end of the track and the transition to Retali(h)ate, which picks up the pace slightly while remaining pure violence, even incorporating a touch of technicality between two simpler yet effective sections. The band doesn’t hesitate to venture into Slam Death and its catchy, driving groove before hitting full speed with When the Red Moon Hangs Low, the next track where we find that wild yet controlled energy for two and a half minutes, then the musicians follow up with Maw of the Void, which is cut from the same cloth and has the same effect on us: making our necks move. While the track slows down a bit toward the middle, it’s sure to pick up speed again to lead into Begging to Die, the final track, which unsurprisingly will also hammer us and impose its jerky approach right up to the very end, slightly calmer but no less violent!
Scordatura doesn’t have a minute to spare on Led into Oblivion! The band lines up an intro and nine tracks into less than half an hour, and even though I’d be totally unable to say how many notes were played, the least we can say is that the aggression is palpable!
85/100