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▓█▌▐█▌  ▓▀    ▀▀ ▓▀   ▀▓    ▀▀▀    ██▓ ██ ▀▀               ▀  █▌       ▓ ▀▀▀▀ ▀ ▐█▓ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▓██▄█▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▌▀ ░▓█▓░ ▀█▄                ▓▐█▀▀                      ░▓█▓░ ░█▓░░  ▓                      ▓        ▓░▓█░  ░▓▄█████▄░   ▄ ▄  ▓▄██████▄░  ░▐██▀▀▀▀███▓░ ▀▓▀ ▀▓▀ ░███▀▀▀▀██▄▓ ▀▀▀   ▀▀▀▀▀▀  ▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀ ███  ████▀    ▄▀▀▄▄█████▄▄ ▄▄█████▄▄▀▀▄   ▀████   ██  ██   ▀██▄▐▄  ■ ▄██▀▀ ▀██▄ ▄ ▄██▀ ▀▀██▄ ■ ▄ ▄██▌   ▐█▓  ░▓▄   ▀██▄▀▓█▄▄▄█▀▀ ▄ ▄▓▓▄ ▐█▌ ▌ ▀▓▀ ▐▓▓▌ ▄▓▓▄ ▄ ▀▀▓▄▄░▄██▀   ▄▀      ▓░▓▄███   ▐▀ ▀▓▀ ▀▀ ▄██▀ ▀██▄ ▀▀ ▀▓▀  ▀███▄ ▓▓        ▄██▀▓   ■ ▀▄▀ ▀▄▀ ■   ░▀███░       ▓███▓     ░░ ▐▌ ▐▌     ░███▓      ███▌░  ▀ ▀ ███▓    ▐██▀ ▀███░   ██▌  Artist...: Black Mass ░▐██▌  ░▐██   Album....: Warlust  ░██▌░ ▓▐██   Year.....: 2019  ▓▐██▓ ▓▐██   Rel.Date.: 2020-04-19  ░▐██▓  ▐██   Genre....: Thrash Metal   ██▌░ ░ ██▌  Label....: Iron Shield Records   ██▌    ▐██  Source...: CD  ▐██    ░▐██▌ Type.....: Album ▐██▌░  ▓▄████ Quality..: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo ████▌░ ▓▄████ ████▌░   ███▌░  ███▓   ▐██░░▀█▄░         ▓█▌  ███  ▀██▓ ▓█▄        ▄█▀ ▓██▀    ▓██▄ ▓▓▀▄    ▄▓▀  ▄██▓░     ██▌    ▓  ▄▄▄ ░    ▐██▓░       ██▌    ░ ░▀▄▓▓█▀█▄▀▀░     ▓██░         ░██░     ░ ░▄ ▄▄██▐▓▓█▄░▄█▌██▀▀ ▀░ ░ ▄▄▀▀█░░▐█░      ▄  ▐█▌░    ░▄▄▀▓▓███▀▄░ ▓▄▄█▌▓▓█ ▓█░   ▀░▀  ██     ▀▀▀ ░█▓▄▄▄█▀░ ▓█        ░▐█▌    ░█▌▐▓ ▓▄▄░ ▌         ░█░     ▄  ▐▓▓▀▀▀░▓█▄▄░       ░░▄█▄ ▄ ██▄ ▀░▀ ▀█░▄▄▄  ▄█░▄▀▀▄▀▀▄░▀▀▄       ▀▀████████▀░ ▀▀░  ▄█▓░░░░▀░░█ █▄█▓        ▐█░▀██▀ ▄█▓░░░ ▐ ▄ ░▓█▄        ▓  ▐▌  ▐ ▄█▀█░ ░  ░ ▄ ▀█▄▓█░    ░▓▓▀▀░▄ ▌▓   ■░▒ ░ ▄ ▐▀▀▓▄█▓░░ ░ ░ ▄█▀█░█▐▓▌▀▄         ░▀█▌  ▓▬ ▓▀▓ ░▄▄▓▀▓░      ░▀█░▀█▄░░  ░█░ ██ █░▀█▐▌       ░▓░░▐▌   ▌ ░░■  ▄█▐  ▐       ▓▓▓█░▓█▄▄█░  █▓█▓▌░ ▀  ▄         ▓░▓ █▓▐░▌ ▓ ░▓▓ ▓▐▒▄░░▐▓█  ▌         █▀▀░▐▀░█▀▓  ▐▌ █▌    ▀░▀     ▄ ▐░▌░▐█ █▌ ▓   ░█░░█▀ ▐▓▐░ ▀▄▄▀▀▌░   ▄▄███▐████▄▓  ▌        █  ░   █ ─▀▀▀█▓░█▄▌  ▐░▐░ ▄▄▄░██  ░ ░ ░▓░  ▐▌▓▄▌▓▓▌▓▐▓█▀  ■                ▄ ▌     ▀█▄█▌ █▌▐▓░█▓ ▀ ░░░ ░▓█▄█  █▓▓▓▓▓█▄▓▓▐▓  ░        █  ░  ▄ ▀ ░  ░  ▓██  ▄██▀ ░▌█░▄░██░░▐▌  ▄ ░▌▄░░░▄▌░▌▀    ← ▄  ░  █  ▄██▀    ░░▓  ░▀█▐█▀▀▀▀▀ ▐▄██▀▀█▌░░▌   ▀░▀ ░▌ ▀░▀   ▐ █ █ █▄▐▓▓▌        ▀▄▄  ██▌▒ ░▄░  █▐▓░▐░   ░ ░▌▄     ░▌ ▄ ░ ██ ▀▓▓▓▄▄ ░▬▓░ ▐██▀▀▀▓░  ▐█▌░ ▌░    ███▄░  ░▌  ▀ ▄  █ ███   ▄      █▄▄██ ░░    █▐░ ▐▓  ▐▓██░ ░▓▓     ▀██▄  ███  ███▌   ▀░▀ ░▀██▌      ▐▓▌░ ▌░ ▐▓█▓    █ ░     ▐▓▓▌ ███ ▓████░  ▐█▌▄▄    ░ █▐▓ ░▌░  ░█▓▌░ ░  ▌         ▄▄▓▓▓▀  ███ ▐█▓██░ ▒▐▌ ░▄██ ██░  ▄▄█▌▌░▄█░░░░░██░░   ▓▌  ░      ░░▌ ▀▀▓▌░ ██▌░ ████░ ▄██▄░  ▄▄███ ▄██▄▄    █▓▓░▓█▓▓▄█▓▓▓░▌░░   ░█  ▄▄▓▄░▀▄█▓░▓▄▀▀▀█ ██▌▓░████▓░   █▌░  █████▌ ▀██▀▀  ▓▀▀▀▓▄ █▄█▐█▓▓▓█▌▓░ ░░ ▐▄▄▄▄█▓ ▄░  ░ ▒█████ ███▓▄████▓    █▌  ▐██ ██▌ ░██    ▄█ ░▄▄░▓██▀███▄▄▄██▀░▓▄▓█▀▀░░ ▀▒ █░ ░ ░ ▄▀▀█▄ ██████████████████████████▄██▄▄▓█░▬██▄███▀░░░█▓▄▄▄█░▄▄▄▬▐█▓▄▓▓▓▓▄█▀▀█▄▄█▀░▄██▄ ████▀███████████▓███████████████▀▓▓▀▐▌█▌█▀░▐█▀▀░ ▐███▄█▄▌░  ▀▄█░░░▌▄░░▄▓░▐▓▄▓▀ ██▄▓▄████████████████████▓████████████▓▌███▓░░░▄░░░░███▓░█████▀░▀▐ ▓▓▓▐▓█████ ████████▄▄███████████████████▐████████████████████████████████████▓█▌██████ ▓█░▓▄▄▄████▄▓▀ ▄▄▓ ▄▄▄░█▌ ░▄▀▀▄█▓░ ▓▓█░████▓███░██▀▓▓███▓ ▓██▓▐█▌ ███▄▄   ▐███▄ ▓▄█▀▀  ▐█▄█▀  ▄▀▀░ ▄█▀░ ░ ▓████████▐██████▓█▓ ▓█ ██  ░█▓ ▐█▄▓██▄██▄▐█▌░   ▐██▌▓▄█▀▓    ▄▄▀▀▀▀▄▄▄ ▓██▓▓▓▀▄████▐░███ █░█▌▄ ▐█▀██▀ ██▀   ▀███▄▄█▓ ███████▄▓▀▀▀▀▄▓  ░▄██▓ ▓ ▓██▓▀▄█████▓ ▄▄▀▀▓▄▄█▄▐█▄▄▓▄▄▄▄▄▄▄░▄░░░▄▄▀▄▄▀█░▄▄▄▄▄▄▐█▌ ▄██▀▄▄▄▄▄▄ ██░████ ▓     ░  ▓██░                        ▓█▄█▀     ▓██████            ▀▀▄▓                      ▓▀▀▀       ▓ █    1. Intro 2:33 2. Warlust 3:16 3. Programmable Life Forms 3:28 4. High Priest in Black 2:53 5. Graveyard Rock 3:35 6. Interlude 2:15 7. Hellhounds 5:32 8. Bible Stomp 4:33 9. Virgin Sacrifice 4:38 10. Fueled by Drugs 4:13 ------ 36:56 Since the coming of the so-called Old School invasion on the beginning of the last decade, many names arose trying to use the past to breed music. Some say ôwe are the heirs of the past, and we are giving continuity to the musical works of the eldersö, what sounds like a joke, for what is done is done, and none can give continuity to others worksÆ. No one can be a new HELLHAMMER, no one can bring back what SLAYER did on ôShow No Mercyö times, for itÆs a matter of time, a matter that they already did it and left it behind, and the most important feature of all: itÆs their works, not of anyone else. But if the bands lack a personality, itÆs not a sin to hear and like ôtheirö music. And North American trio BLACK MASS gives the fans a good work on ôWarlustö. Their music sounds like a mix between German Thrash Metal from the years between 1984 and 1986 (when the genre was aggressive and filth than it would be just a year before) with some nasty influences from MOTORHEAD. ItÆs a kind of music that everyone heard again and again many times, and even in a better shape than what they present. They lack something personal, indeed, but the energy and good arrangements of their songs are facts that canÆt be denied. One thing that canÆt be understood in this mania to sound as raw and dirty as it used to be on the first half of the 80's. In this moldy way, a sound quality would prevent the bands to reach their full potential. And even with ôWarlustö sounding extremely raw, it could be better. Once more the same tip: call Joel Grind to mix and master your work, guys, because he understands how to sound organic and clean at the same time (and before someone could say something about the repetition of this tip to bands like BLACK MASS, itÆs recommended to hear the good work of TOXIC HOLOCAUST and many other bands that he works with, and this writer is not a personal friend of him). Once more: itÆs nothing that DESTRUCTION, SODOM and many others didnÆt on their earlier works, but the high peaks of adrenaline on ôWarlustö (good guitar riffs), the Thrashing fury of ôProgrammable Life Formsö (it sounds like MOTORHEAD playing a Black/Thrash song), the filthy Hardcore touch on ôGraveyard Rockö and on ôHellhoundsö, and the slow parts of ôBible Stompö can be said as the moments that makes the listening of ôWarlustö worthy. They have talent and really can do something better, but a better sound quality and showing more personality are the right tips for BLACK MASS. --- Have you ever wondered or pondered just where the term ôThrash Metalö originated? Who came up with it and just what or who in the hell inspired them to come up with it? It pretty well had to be some ferocious, animated metal band of the past, more than likely in the early to mid-Eighties, based on what we do know. The list of possible candidates is a limitless one, of course, yet we owe them such a debt of gratitude, whoever they are or were. If you happen to look up the word ôthrashö in a dictionary, one of the definitions given is ôto toss, or plunge aboutö and for me, that pretty well sums it upà just picture a mosh pit. It totally fits and makes sense, right? The subjects of this review, BostonÆs brash bad-asses of sonic bludgeoning and bashery, BLACK MASS, released their second full-length album, æWarlustæ, through Iron Shield Records back in February. Since then, the recordÆs musical contents have ravaged fans of the band, along with the denizens of the metal underground lucky enough to run into ità or had it run into them, whichever. Formed in 2012, the band are a true power trio, but it ainÆt power metal they specialize in, not even close. Instead, BLACK MASS û Brendan OÆHare (lead/rhythm guitar, vocals), Cristian Azevedo (bass, backing vocals), and Alex Fewell (drums) û are all about POWERFUL metal, the type that is intense and absolutely savage. It is not all too far removed from their obvious influences either, the old-school thrash bands that originally pioneered the movement like Slayer, Exodus, or Kreator. Speaking of movement, the æWarlustæ album begins with a brief intro piece relating to the perceived conceptual theme running throughout: War. Once ended, things explode with the inflamed guitar riffing that heralds title track, ôWarlustô, and before you know it, a drumming assault is taking place. With things now fully engaged, a frenzy of manic metal is whirling wildly, whipping away at the listener as snarling, aggressive vocals join the fray. Following that, things continue to escalate with the thrashing battery of the tracks ôProgrammable Life Formsô, ôHigh Priest In Blackô, and the Mot÷rhead-meets-Venom madness of ôGraveyard Rockô. At this point, we get a glimpse of a whole other musical side to BLACK MASS with the peacefully tranquil, acoustic enhanced instrumental piece, ôInterludeô. After what we just experienced via the four earlier tracks, this much-needed breather is an amazing revelation of the bandÆs true capabilities and, in my opinion, something that would be interesting to hear them explore further û food for thought. The respite is minimal as the interval ends and ôHellhoundsö comes aÆbarking and howling, by means of the chunky riffs now firing away. They are just an appetizer though, what drives their advance is an impressive turn into grindcore style drumming blast beats. Winding itself tighter, the rhythm section of the song are working up some nearly inhuman speeds, their rapid interaction arrives in dizzying flurries. This type of agitated audio incineration is a formula that returns in the tracks ôVirgin Sacrificeö and ôFueled By Drugsô. The latter does briefly detour itself into a bit of headiness at some passages near the end of the song, IÆm guessing when the referenced narcotic propellant has more fully kicked in. For my personal tastes, one song in particular is the quintessence of this album and the band, the phenomenal ôBible Stompô. A bit of hacking at the drum kit kicks things off, soon joined by rumbling bass lines and chugging chunks of guitar all melding together. Then we find ourselves amid a toxic waltz of slightly slower, circling grooves and revolving riffs, the songÆs lyrics detailing injustices carried out by agents of organized religion. Momentum builds within the music, the lyrics grow more controversial, eventually calling for violence against the criminal clergy, as the music reflects the fury of the fictional person narrating the tale. Clearly, BLACK MASS are not out to reinvent the wheel, which is just fine by me because we need fierce, volatile bands like this. Not just for our entertainment or enjoyment, for the way I see it, that takes a back seat to the twofold thing we need most. First, we need contemporary metal bands that remind us of our collective history in this genre marked by heaviness, aggression, and extremity. Ones like BLACK MASS that channel elements of the past. Second, in an age I see marred by maddening political correctness to such a point that many people have become docile, we desperately need BLACK MASS and bands of similar ilk. You know, those that are the very embodiment of the No-Fucks-Given attitudeà and right here ya go!                                                                                                     ▀▀░                                                                                                                ░▄▀                                  ▄█▀                                             ░▄           ░▐███░               ▀█░▄▄▄                    ▄░       ▀█░░                      ░           ▀▀░                                         ▄  ░                                          ▄     █          ▀                 ▄              ▄█▄ ▄ ██▄         ▀░▀     ▄         ▀                ▀░▀   ▀         ▀▀████████▀░                   ▀ ▄      ░                      ░░       ░▀██▀                    ▀██▄                ▄               ▐     ░      ░  █▀▄    ▐▓▓▌   █                    ▄   ▄▄       ░                    ▄▄▌█  ▄▄▓▓▓▀  ▄                      ▄ ▀   ████      ░                   ▐███▌  ░ ░                  ▄██▀     ▄▄██▄▄           ░           ▄▄███▄▄ ▄  ▓                         ▐▓▓▌  ░   ▓████▄        ▀          ▀    ▓█████▓  ▀ ▄                           ▀▓▓▓▄▄   ▐▓███ ▌                       ▌█████      ▀██▄   ▄                ░▄  ▀▀██▄▐████ ▌▐ ▌▓                ▓▐ ▌█▓███       ▐▓▓▌ ▀░▀           █    █  ░ ░▓▐████▄▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▄ ▐▐·▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▄█████    ▄▄▓▓▓▀                            ▓ ▓▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐▓▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌█████ ▄█▓▀▀  ▄░ ░            ▄▄▄░      ▓     ░▐████▄▌▐▄▌▌▄▌▌▐ ▌▐▐▄▐▐▄▌▄▐▐▓▐▄▌█████ ▓     █               █████      ▐▄░   ▓▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐▓▐ ▌█████   ▓░   ▄         ▐▓    █▓███░    ▓▐█░▄▄  ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐█ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌█████    ▄██▄ ▀ ▄      █▌    █████▓   ██▀█▀▀   ▐█▓██ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌███▓█   ▐█▓██▓   ▀██▄ ▀██▀   █████▓░    ▓█▌    ▐████▓▌▐▄▌▌▄▌▌▄ ▌▐▐▄▐▐▓▌▌▐▐▄▐▄▌█████   ▐████▌    ▐▓▓▌▓█▌   ▄█▓███▄░     ▐█▄▓  ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▀█▓███   ▐████▌ ▄▄▓▓▓▀  █▓  ████████▄▄▓ ▄█████▌ ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐▓▐ ▌█████   ▓████▌░ ▄▄   ▄▄█▄▄ ██████████████████████████████▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄     █████  ░██▓████▓██▓▓██████ █░█████▄▀█▄░████████▄▄▄▄▄██████▓████████░██████▄▄▄▄▄███████░▄██░█░█████████ ▓██▀█████▓░░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░░░▓███▓█████ ████████▓ ▓██▓▐████▓ ▓██ █░███ █░██████▓ ███▓▄▀█▓ ▓ ▓█████▓███████ ▓███ ░▄▄▄▓████▓ ▓████████▓ ▓██████▓ ▓████▓