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TEMPLE OF BRUTALITY
"Lethal
Agenda" (Universal / Demolition / Warcon; 2007)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
With their debut album, “Lethal Agenda,” Temple of Brutality display a modern thrash style influenced by metalcore and
hardcore. However, “Lethal Agenda” retains a good-old fashioned thrash mentality without
resorting to Eighties thrash hallmarks like long songs and overly complex song structures.
Fans expecting a sound very similar to Megadeth solely based on Dave Ellefson’s involvement may be a bit disappointed;
Ellefson appears to one-of-the-guys in this group – a willing and able soldier as part of a
unit as Temple of Brutality seems like a band in every sense of the word.
The songs on “Lethal Agenda” are taut and relentless – this reflects the hardcore esthetic shared by members of the band. The guitar, bass, and drums act like a violent, unrelenting storm – a solid platform for the muscular shouting of the vocals. The lyrics cover a narrow range of politically charged diatribes that reflects the current violent society. As a descriptive narrative of modern socio-political society, I’m afraid the lyrics and their meanings are slightly lost in their narrowness – but that’s a relatively minor complaint.
Regardless, “Lethal Agenda” is highly satisfying thrash-fest that grows
better with each additional spin. “Lethal Agenda” should appeal to old fans of the genre as well as new fans who have grown tired of the
metalcore style.
“Lethal Agenda” was produced by Temple of Brutality, engineered by Greg
Timko, and mixed by Jason Slater.
Temple of Brutality is Todd Barnes on vocals, Peter Scheithauer on guitars, David Ellefson on bass, and Stet Howland on drums.
For more information visit http://www.templeofbrutality.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2007 by R. Scott Bolton. All
rights reserved.
Revised:
12 Aug 2024 14:33:57 -0400
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