Eight years ago, Polish thrashers Whorehouse sparked eager attention and broad acclaim with debut album Execution of Humanity. Just recently they unleashed its highly anticipated successor and fair to say it has not taken long for similar reactions to crowd the ferocious roar of Corporation, an album which grabs the listener by the scruff of the neck and hurls them into a brawling, rousing tide of thrash goodness.
Formed in 1995, the Cracow outfit grab the open inspiration of Bay Area thrash for their hungry, social and politically savaging sound. For a band which has been around twenty years, it is maybe a touch surprising that Corporation is only their second album though any length of wait is quickly forgotten once the accomplished tempest of sound and intent is uncaged. Recorded by Dominik Burzym (Mord’A’Stigmata, Atrophia Red Sun) at Studio 67, Corporation flies from the blocks with its title track, guitars gathering their creative thoughts and textures before sending a tide of familiar thrash nurtured but fresh riffs through ears. Rhythms punch and poke with equal hunger, the vocals solo and in band unison as arousing and anthemic as the sounds around them and in no time participation with its chorus alone is lustfully offered. With the guitars creating a web of sonic enterprise across its latter and still relentlessly contagious body, the song makes for an irresistible start.
It is a pleasure trapping success quickly emulated by The Same Old War, the following track a surge of nagging riffs and growling vocals as the bass groans and beats venomously swing. Again involvement with its antagonistic contagion is easy and full, an appetite for the melodic flames shooting across rapacious exploits unstoppable as Whorehouse again colour their sonic storm with imagination catching craft and boldness.
Toxic Dance similarly has body and thoughts bouncing; spicy grooves colluding with predacious riffs from the start before things again settle into a ravenous flow of tenacious riffs and biting rhythms nurtured in the inspirations of bands such as Exodus and Testament. In no time the track is a boiling, brawling incitement of prime thrash metal before Payback launches its own tirade of animosity and torrent of skilfully crafted thrash rabidity. As much as the core riffs, as in all songs, are soaked in genre familiarity, the guitars soon twist things up with their melodic enterprise and sonic unpredictability, a mix matched in the vocals and the uncompromising rhythms led by the magnetically snarling bass.
The virulent savagery of W.W.W.A.W.W.B (We Were, We Are, We Will Be) floods through ears soon after, its tone toxic and defiant, its sound just as incendiary with some of the most delicious hooks and grooves to be found on any thrash album in recent times while Invaders infests the senses with wiry grooves as a torrent of creative drama infects every note and twist within the best track moment within Corporation. It is a status closely challenged across the album to be honest, the following The Silent Unseen making its bid with a furious and volatile contagion so easy to get greedy over.
Anguis In Herba brings things to a powerful close, the track the most imaginative and creatively dramatic on the release. The instrumental is cinematic in its air and striking in its texture rich tapestry of sound. It provides a fine end to an album difficult to pull away from; certainly one helping at a time is not nearly enough to satisfy an appetite for one of the most enjoyable thrash proposals of recent times.
Corporation is available now through Defense Records.
https://www.facebook.com/krkareathrash/ https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Whorehouse/Corporation/651478
Pete RingMaster 04/07/2017
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
lack of anything startlingly new or different to other imaginative bands and releases, yet whilst in its venomous company Aura Damage leaves no room for distractions or a yearning to go elsewhere. Hell United is a skilled and provocative band in sound and invention, and one to which destructive violence and insidious violation is second nature. From the opener Red Limitations, a track which leaves the listener cowering under its towering riffs and rhythmic violence, the band piles on the oppressive intensity and corrosive malevolence. It is savage and unrelenting with a mission to snap wills and consume senses, something it does with little resistance.