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TEMPERED
Cruel & Unusual Punishment

Cavernous / Macho (2025)
Rating: 7/10

Right, I’m going to address the elephant in the room immediately; I don’t like the vocals. There, I said it, so if the Glasgow, Scotland-based band wants to send their parents, grandparents, neighbours and their dogs down to Metal Forces HQ then so be it.

Cruel & Unusual Punishment is a ferocious modern thrash album. It’s one which vents anger from the very first riff and while I am in full appreciation of its volatile nature I just can’t get on with it, finding myself constantly irritated by what seem to be childish vocal outbursts. I do believe, however, that Tempered will appeal to a lot of thrash maniacs because it’s relentless in its aggression, and a lot of thrash heads will relate to such seething.

‘Mass Misery’ leaps for your throat like a rabid dog, ripping at your flesh with its crazed riffage. To an extent, the initial vocal barrage is acceptable; it provides a lethal injection to what is already a wild and ravenous song. For Tempered it’s all about the speed, but within these zipping tirades there are some catchy melodies to be unearthed.

‘Fed To Dogs’ features some slower riffage to hook you in and there’s some angular construction inside the pummelling. So, riff wise it’s quite the sonic experience, more so on the very good ‘Scum Vortex’, but as the album unravelled I somehow managed to separate the vocals which allowed me to appreciate the quality of the musicianship more.

‘Crush Zone’ features some Slayer-esque lead work and an utterly violent approach, especially with the blazing drums. ‘Cold Hard Ground’ is a big favourite, more so due to its mid-tempo groove, but so much of what’s offered is hostile, rounded off with further venomous spits on closer ‘Cruel Punishment’.

As I write this critique I’m on my 11th spin of this debut album and I still can’t stomach the vocals, but don’t let this review put you off, especially if you like antagonistic thrash which showers you with an in-your-face crossover whipping.

Neil Arnold

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