Band - Nuclear Winter
Country - Bangladesh
Genre - Thrash Metal
Release - Warborne Assault
Release - Warborne Assault
Type - EP
Label - Wartorn Records
Date of Release - 17th January, 2013
Tracklist
1 - Nuke 'Em Back To The Stone Age
2 - Father Of All Bombs
3 - Sacred Warfare
4 - Idol Of The Blinds
5 - Not A Step Back (Order No. 227)
4 - Idol Of The Blinds
5 - Not A Step Back (Order No. 227)
Total Playing Time - 15 Minutes
Thrash is not a very easy genre to make a mark in. One can argue that
all the major innovations in the style were done in the 80's, the
decade that gave birth to the genre. However true that may be, it must
be stated that thrash in the modern day is a genre that is full of
copy-cats that lack originality and just want to do the same thing that
the next band is doing. To put it bluntly, most thrash bands just look
the same and sound the same. In fact, the most unfortunate thing is that
I can pick a random band from Spain and pair them up with a band from
Canada, and they could have both been from the same den in the west
coast of the USA.
Nuclear Winter are not just another ripple in
the endless stream, however. Right from the outset, the band
differentiate themselves with their dark sounding, gritty production
that manages to be clean at the same time. The guitar tone bursts out
the gates like a battering ram, crashing into everything and beating the
opposition into submission, while the drumming provides a constant
barrage of bullets to aid the assault. The bass has a healthy clunky
tone that is a bit behind in the mix but is not without its own presence
as it adds another layer of heaviness to the overall mix, and helping
create the ultimate aura of endless warfare taking place before our very
eyes.. or ears, in this case. Speaking of war, the vocal performance by
Reza is akin to a general barking orders from the trenches, but never
hesitating to fire some rounds himself.
The music is played out
at breakneck tempos throughout, sometimes giving way for a mid-tempo
approach, but never ever slowing down. The riffage leads the way
forward, armed with the great tone as mentioned earlier, with the tight
rhythm section giving the aggression a contained and compacted feel. The overall
effect is devastating, when the sounds of war break through your
speakers. In the midst of all this high speed metal madness, a guitar
solo drops in and makes its presence known every now and then to keep
this Bangla blitzkrieg marching forward. It is really something to
behold, and if you don't sing along to the choruses when you witness
this band live... you shouldn't be at the gig in the first place. I know
I will personally go apefuckingshit when I some day am blessed enough
to see them live.
The songs are all well balanced. The first
track, the promo single, starts off in crushing fashion and eventually
leads way to the band's trademark fast tempos and barking vocal style.
Father Of All Bombs is a short but sweet effort clocking in around two
minutes with some interesting riffage and an addictive chorus section.
This song will have you guzzling beer can after beer can while smashing
your heads against the stage. The next two songs – Sacred Warfare, and
Idol of the Blinds – are notably more nefarious in nature, with some
harsher vocal styles on display as well as some riffs that wouldn't be
out of place on a death/thrash song. These two songs make it clear to
the listener that this band brings variety to the table as well, before
the EP finally closes off with a sick crossover influenced track in Not A
Step Back (Order No. 227). This last one finishes as soon as it begins,
leaving behind a mass of collateral damage in its wake.
Musically,
you would be pretty ill-informed to claim that this band is a Sodom
worship band just after reading their name. Their influences upon the
initial listenings, vary from the aforementioned German thrash masters
to acts such as Destruction, Exodus, Sacred Reich, Sacrifice and Morbid
Saint. However they are not any generic retro-homage to 80's acts. At
the end of the day, Nuclear Winter just provide an eclectic mix of
elements of their favorite bands, and manage to create their own sound
in the process.
Putrid Ascendancy strongly recommends!!
9/10
