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REPELLEDEATH
Repelledeath

Self-released (2024)
Rating: 7/10

Is that Sylvester Stallone on the front cover battling four ectoplasmic manifestations? It’s certainly a striking 80s styled illustration and contained within is a vicious slice of Québec City thrash.

I don’t know much else about this slab but the cover art makes more sense when you discover that there is a track named after the 1986 Stallone movie Cobra. Meanwhile, you also get the song titles ‘Die Hard’, ‘Amityville’, ‘Mad Max’ and ‘Carrie’ alongside ‘Human Centipede’, ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ and namesake track ‘Repelledeath’.

The album isn’t as cheesy as I thought it might be, but what’s really interesting is the mix of crunchy thrash and an almost blackened speed metal streak that reminds me of early Kreator mixed with a black metal snap. The vocals of Danny Drouin have a raw, scratchy dynamic, but behind such sniping are some great, groove-based riffs. Admittedly the vocal squabbles are a bit too quarrelsome on ‘Amityville’, but one cannot ignore the spikiness of the speed metal on show.

There are some nice melodic elements throughout too, but for the most part it is that aforementioned marrying of crunch and vicious speed. I also like the fact that the album is only 27 minutes long and so the general feel is of a whipping shortness.

This album is a bit of a thrash gem and one that is riveting in its reckless nature.

Neil Arnold

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