By Martin Elliott
(Image: © Unknown e-mail for credit or removal )
The EP opens with seeming newsreel audio of a nuclear test, before guitars kick in and you realise a second before it hits that a scream is coming – as it does. Flashbacks to Araya’s classic Angel of Death opening scream are inevitable, and there’s maybe a touch of Dani Filth there too. Either way, it sets up for what’s to come. Thrash riffs and percussion are the order of the day here, while the vocals verge on death metal growls. Nothing too out of the ordinary at the moment, actually, although it’s quickly apparent that the bass is given a lot of space to breathe in the mix. In a style where all too often the bass doesn’t go further than aping the guitars’ root notes, the instrument having its own distinct place in the music is always welcome.
Second track “Every Cliché” continues in this thrash vein, with all the genre tropes beloved of fans perfectly represented. Indeed, you’d have to wonder if the a capella line “Every cliché in the book” is a touch of self deprecating humour. Let’s have it on record, though, that this is no way intended as a slight. The ability on display here is superb, guaranteed to satisfy any thrash fan from the outset.
If the splendidly executed thrash of the first two tracks gets you in the door, it’s time now to get yourself settled in for a more expansive trip. The first hint that something is up comes with the beginning of “Hamster Wheel”, as an unexpected clean guitar and more surprising clean vocal open the song. A swift return to the thrilling speed ride follows, and when the clean vocals drop back in you think you’ve got it sussed. Just over the halfway point, though, a 3/4 section brings skittering drums along with the rumbling bass and lead guitar. What follows answers a question that’s been open up to now – why do these guys refer to themselves as war jazz? Ahh... it becomes clear now. The musicianship on display here is as superb as the composition, a joy to experience.
Brilliantly, the expansiveness of “Hamster Wheel” is immediately followed by “Revenge for Sale”, about as close as we’re going to get to straight death metal. The savagery of the vocals is only emphasised by odd lines being delivered in a clearer style, while the speed and heft of the riffs is a display of brute force... and then here comes the jazz fusion, just for a minute, before the speed and growls come back with a vengeance.
A lot of ground has been covered by this point, so “Rotten Tooth” having an intro drenched in watery reverb doesn’t present the surprise it might have done earlier. What they do is anything but formulaic, however. A sudden return to fusion is more of a welcome left turn – you knew it was coming, but it’s still a pleasant detour. Just past the five minute mark, though, it turns out there’s more weird left in the tank. A harmonica comes seemingly out of nowhere, sounding like it wouldn’t be out of place on one of the early Led Zep BBC radio sessions. As if that weren’t enough, the drums kick in with what sounds like a hyperspeed take on Motörhead’s “Overkill” ushering in several bits of that band’s 70s output played simultaneously. It’s an utterly mad and absolutely brilliant way to end a song.
As we get to the last two tracks of the EP, the various elements that make up the Acid Age sound have finally fixed themselves in the mind. If they lose the element of surprise, though, they lose none of the impact. There’s still real variety on offer here. From relatively straightforward but solid thrash riffs, through more outlandish jazz and even proggy sections, the playing on display is superb. The vocals, too, offer more variety and depth than most bands, while the masterful compositions stand shoulder to shoulder with the impressive musicianship. “State Your Business” and “Third Eye Locksmith”, then, serve more to encapsulate and reinforce the trio’s impressive strengths rather than really adding any further flavours to what is already a very complex offering.
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