As the rock ‘n’ roll train leaves 2017 and careens into 2018 it shows no sign of slowing down, never mind stopping. A testament to that fact is the whole host of top reviews which have already appeared on decibelgeek.com, along with this debut release, Unleashing The Beast from Justify Rebellion.
This album, as they would say here in Yorkshire, England, is ‘proper metal’. It’s got everything that the modern thrasher appreciates; grinding riffs, torturing rhythm, menacing vocals, and powerful solos.
Justify Rebellion, a quartet, hail from Denmark and definitely take inspiration from one of Denmark’s finest, Lars Ulrich (and his mates, obviously). Unleashing The Beast shows numerous Metallica influences throughout the album, especially from the ….And Justice For All period.
This is shown from the off with “Animal”. A long drawn out period of moody atmospheric playing followed by prolonged riffing for the rest of this instrumental track basically signposts us towards what to expect on this record.
When it comes to vocals, Lukas Rautenberg, who also shares guitar with Stephen Torpe Andersen, has an edgier delivery than James Hetfield and often strays into Slipknot territory, with a bit more shouting than singing.
The overall feel of Unleashing The Beast is one of power and threat, which is underlined not only by the vocals and guitar but also the rhythm section. Nikolaj Madsen on bass and Nikolaj Ersboll Ross on drums maintain the necessary pounding rhythm throughout and never deviate from the master plan.
If I was being hyper-critical I found the Metallica influence a bit much, as there are several times where I could hear straight rip-offs from ….And Justice For All, but if you’re going to do it you might as well rip off the best, eh?
If you like your metal 80’s and thrashy I would recommend that you give this a listen, there won’t be many better ways to start 2018.
Grab the album via the link below, which is out on Mighty Music.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4i8RB9WYL8[/embedyt]
