Decision D
Razon De La Muerta
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
Fans of Believer's aggro speed metal are gonna eat this disc up. This five-piece band has improved so much since its last demo--and what a difference a good studio and producer makes! This eight-song offering is one tight onslaught of crunch and rhythm. Most impressive is the double guitar tone of Daniel Bootsma and Stijn Bollinger, but the monster drumming by Peter Zaal can't be ignored (he's fast!). Bassist Gerard Vanderree holds the fat bottom end together wonderfully. Fans of the "growl-til-death-metal-is-mainstream" style will love Edwin Ogenio's vocals. During "Criticize," Edwin sounds like Paul D'Anno (ex-Iron Maiden) during the verses and like Mike Tyrone (ex-Sacrament) during the choruses. Besides thrash music that kills (I mean, the runs in "Babylon's Kingdom" are mind-blowing!), the lyrics here are A+ excellent. "Criticize" is a great refutation of the rock 'n' roll singer who spends all his time talking about problems and pointing fingers, yet never offers the only real solution: changed hearts through Jesus. "Ecclesia Anorexia" is a dissertation of the letter to the church in Laodicea from the book of Revelation. "Diabolic Shadow" is a "Satan, we come against you in the Name of Jesus" song with instructions on how to test spirits. "World's Deception" talks about how blessed it is to follow God, Whose commands are not burdensome; and how cursed is he who trusts in man. Excellent material for the die-hard thrasher. Warning: This music will pound in your skull and cave in your ribs if you play it too loud! By the way, this album (called "Razon De La Muerta," meaning "Cause of Death") is on a mainstream label in Germany and will soon be available in the U.S. For those who can't wait, write the band for ordering info at: PO Box 762, 3500 AT Utrecht, The Netherlands.