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TERRAVORE
Spiral Of Downfall

Punishment 18 (2024)
Rating: 7.5/10

Killer album cover, savage vocals, ripping riffs; welcome to the third full-length outing from Bulgarian thrashers Terravore. Although this record does have a contemporary edge, the quartet is clearly drunk on the old school values. There is a Teutonic approach, more so with the vocal snaps of bassist Kalin Bachvarov as the combo surges through a batch of infectious, spitting tracks designed to flay.

Epitomised by the opening title track, this album is raw and fresh at the same time. It’s hard to argue with ‘Black Tantra’ with its wild solo, or the mid-paced chugs contained within ‘Blunt Force Trauma’. Meanwhile, ‘P.O.L’ begins with a subtle majesty yet builds with a brooding before some seriously steady riffage unravels.

Terravore shift between moods, maybe at times evoking vintage Metallica and yet when the ripping nature of the band emerges there are flashes of Kreator. Again, it’s those venomous vocals which take the band that extra step further, at times into a black-thrash or even a death-thrash domain, so I applaud the guys for the mix of extremity and melody. ‘Propagandacide’ is another excellent tune led by the metallic chugging and ‘Shattered’ showcases further sublime axework.

Spiral Of Downfall is such a solid, all round album proving that there’s still life in the old thrash dog genre and this is on heavy rotation as I write.

Neil Arnold

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