Acid Death
Hall of Mirrors
7Hard Records
2015
Old-school metalheads Acid Death released their 4th full length album entitled “Hall of Mirrors”. Recorded at Devasoundz Studios and mixed & mastered by Fotis Benardo (SixforNine, former Septic Flesh), this album combines the band’s death/thrash metal sound that got them where they are today with just a small touch of math rock. Personally, I had attended the listening session the band had hosted last May (check it here) and since then I had been waiting to get my hands on an actual copy of “Hall of Mirrors” for a more in depth analysis.
“Hell’s Maw” and “Mental Slime” are kicking the album. I mention them as one track since “Hell’s Maw” serves as a less than a minute long introduction to the album. “Mental Slime” is a fast pace thrash metal track, the kind that only bands like Acid Death can still produce.
After that, there’s “Truth Revealed”. To be totally honest, the first time I heard it I can’t say I cared for its intro (don’t get me wrong, it’s not unbearable or anything like that, but I admit it sounded a bit cheesy to my ears). However, since then and after hearing it a few more times, even though I still don’t consider it one of the album’s highlights, I do find its fast aggressive attitude and its futuristic flair pretty enjoyable nonetheless. It should be mentioned that this track features the vocal contribution of Nikos Melissourgos (Suicidal Angels).
Next up is the first of my three favourite tracks on “Hall of Mirrors”. “Life And Death” (featuring the vocal contribution of Floating Words’ Jon Soti) is a small wonder which manages to combine a general raw and rough quality with melodic and elaborately complicated touches. Definitely a highlight of the record. The same mentality also carries on to the next song; “The Unfair Fight” is a track that any Acid Death fan will wet his pants for.
Moving on, we find the song from which the whole album gets its name. “Hall Of Mirrors” finds Manthos Stergiou (Tardive Dyskinesia) lending his vocal chords for a few lyrics. Here’s where the band have experimented with a much more math rock sound. Wandering in the path paved by Meshuggah, in other words, a perfect fit for Stergiou’s vocal style, who apparently has been an Acid Death fan for quite some time.
As for “Taste of the Erratic”, track #7, it’s a classic Acid Death song full of aggression and raw power. “Taste of the Erratic” also holds a first for Acid Death, since it’s the first time that they have ever used women’s vocals in one of their songs. The lucky ladies that broke their cherry are none other than Iliana Tsakiraki (Enemy Of Reality) and Nantia V. Also let me just say that the guitar work after the middle of this track is pretty damn impressive.
Next up is “Ghostship”, the track that ranks at number three in my personal top three enjoyable songs in “Hall of Mirrors”. It starts with a distinctive and highly impressive intro, moves to an ominous creepy break before going back to the tightest death metal outbreak ever. A melodic and yet rough sounding chorus and great guitar work in the solo. What more can you ask for?
Following that we have “Planets of the Eternal Dead”. Savvas Bettinis described this track in the best way possible: “And now Planets of the Eternal Dead. Motörhead and nothing else”. It’s a fast, In Flames reminiscing, track with its roots deeply in the old-school thrash metal heritage of Acid Death, which keeps on giving till the end.
Closing the album is “Supreme Act of Heroism”, which marks yet another first for Acid Death. It’s the first song to feature keyboards. Of course, don’t expect an industrial or electro sound, it’s still Acid Death we’re talking about. The raw aggressive dark energy is very much there pounding away at your ear-drums. That is why it falls at the second place of my personal top three enjoyable songs on “Hall of Mirrors”.
So there you have it, Acid Death are ready to release their fourth album. It’s entitled “Hall of Mirrors” and it’s a pretty tight album.
“Hell’s Maw” and “Mental Slime” are kicking the album. I mention them as one track since “Hell’s Maw” serves as a less than a minute long introduction to the album. “Mental Slime” is a fast pace thrash metal track, the kind that only bands like Acid Death can still produce.
After that, there’s “Truth Revealed”. To be totally honest, the first time I heard it I can’t say I cared for its intro (don’t get me wrong, it’s not unbearable or anything like that, but I admit it sounded a bit cheesy to my ears). However, since then and after hearing it a few more times, even though I still don’t consider it one of the album’s highlights, I do find its fast aggressive attitude and its futuristic flair pretty enjoyable nonetheless. It should be mentioned that this track features the vocal contribution of Nikos Melissourgos (Suicidal Angels).
Next up is the first of my three favourite tracks on “Hall of Mirrors”. “Life And Death” (featuring the vocal contribution of Floating Words’ Jon Soti) is a small wonder which manages to combine a general raw and rough quality with melodic and elaborately complicated touches. Definitely a highlight of the record. The same mentality also carries on to the next song; “The Unfair Fight” is a track that any Acid Death fan will wet his pants for.
Moving on, we find the song from which the whole album gets its name. “Hall Of Mirrors” finds Manthos Stergiou (Tardive Dyskinesia) lending his vocal chords for a few lyrics. Here’s where the band have experimented with a much more math rock sound. Wandering in the path paved by Meshuggah, in other words, a perfect fit for Stergiou’s vocal style, who apparently has been an Acid Death fan for quite some time.
As for “Taste of the Erratic”, track #7, it’s a classic Acid Death song full of aggression and raw power. “Taste of the Erratic” also holds a first for Acid Death, since it’s the first time that they have ever used women’s vocals in one of their songs. The lucky ladies that broke their cherry are none other than Iliana Tsakiraki (Enemy Of Reality) and Nantia V. Also let me just say that the guitar work after the middle of this track is pretty damn impressive.
Next up is “Ghostship”, the track that ranks at number three in my personal top three enjoyable songs in “Hall of Mirrors”. It starts with a distinctive and highly impressive intro, moves to an ominous creepy break before going back to the tightest death metal outbreak ever. A melodic and yet rough sounding chorus and great guitar work in the solo. What more can you ask for?
Following that we have “Planets of the Eternal Dead”. Savvas Bettinis described this track in the best way possible: “And now Planets of the Eternal Dead. Motörhead and nothing else”. It’s a fast, In Flames reminiscing, track with its roots deeply in the old-school thrash metal heritage of Acid Death, which keeps on giving till the end.
Closing the album is “Supreme Act of Heroism”, which marks yet another first for Acid Death. It’s the first song to feature keyboards. Of course, don’t expect an industrial or electro sound, it’s still Acid Death we’re talking about. The raw aggressive dark energy is very much there pounding away at your ear-drums. That is why it falls at the second place of my personal top three enjoyable songs on “Hall of Mirrors”.
So there you have it, Acid Death are ready to release their fourth album. It’s entitled “Hall of Mirrors” and it’s a pretty tight album.