Liste der Bands Thrash Black Razor Of Occam Homage to Martyrs

Razor of Occam are an Australian blackened thrash band that have recently released this, ‘Homage to Martyrs’, a potent metal beast of an album. Their name refers to Occam’s Razor, which is a scientific principle that all things equal, the most simple explanation (theory) for something is likely to be the correct one. Ironically, this is exactly how they pursue their brand of raging blackened thrash, reigning in some of the more dramatic elements of peers such as Melechesh or Absu and replacing them with full blown energy.

‘Homage to Martyrs’ was, to begin with anyway, similar in sound to Melechesh’s last album ‘Emissaries’, with less complex arrangements and Eastern flourishes, but appears to be playing to the same audience. However, they don’t let up with the visceral attack for the entire 33 minute length of the album; no instrumental passages, no acoustic interludes or intros, just full blown war on the senses. The riffs switch between grooving thrash riffs and spiralling solos, and blasting black metal riffing. Opener ‘Altar of Corruption’ is pure headbanging fodder, and seems to be the bastard child of Absu and early Kreator. Epic closer ‘Shadow of the Cross’ boasts a full 3 guitar solos while barrelling through some excellent thrash and groove riffs, while tracks like ‘Bite of Dogmata’ and ‘Heat of Battle’ show the more black metal side of the band. ‘Pattern on the Stone’ slows procedures only slightly but loses none of its presence, and the excellent soloing opening of ‘Flame Bearers’ is a guitarist’s dream.

Razor of Occam have been lucky here. Too often combining black and thrash metals can stunt both the atmosphere or speed of those genres, and can fail to meet expectations. ”Homage to Martyrs’ doesn’t do that. At no point does it feel that the menacing black metal atmosphere has faded behind grooving riffs, nor the impact of some simply excellent thrash riffing stunted by a concentration on black metal atmospherics. Razor of Occam have produced quite a potent album here, its just unfortunate that its so short. Longer tracks like ‘Shadow of the Cross’ show that the band are capable of producing longer material, hopefully they’ll lean that way for the next record, because they’ve made a good start here.