▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: KGB ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Smertyu Vosstavshiy █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2019 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2019-10-05 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Thrash Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Metal Race Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ This act appeared right after the dissolution of █ █ the former Soviet Union, rigorously financed by █ █ the fearsome Russian Intelligence Agency K.G.B. █ █ which authorities were adamant on keeping national █ █ metal safe and sound for a fair number of yearsà █ █ kidding of course, this is a science-fiction █ █ scenario (well, one never knowsà); in fact the █ █ guys appeared a bit earlier than that, in the █ █ late-80Æs to be precise, the first fruit of their █ █ collaboration being the demo reviewed here. █ █ Previously this effort was titled ôRisen by █ █ Deathö, and was listed as a full-length from 1992à █ █ which should be the right treatment as it comes █ █ with a very good sound quality, and is over an █ █ hour long. Anyway, the band present us with █ █ interesting classic progressive thrash with more █ █ or less legitimate death and doom metal insertions █ █ which make it a fairly unpredictable at times █ █ listen, the complex decisions taken putting this █ █ act right next to other Russian masters of the █ █ technical/progressive like Aspid, Zhelezny Potok, █ █ Valkyria, End Zone, and Koma. █ █ Big ambition is shown right from the get-go with █ █ the 12-min opening title-track which is an █ █ all-instrumental piece covering all that is known █ █ as progressive/technical thrash, a █ █ larger-than-life conglomerate with surreal █ █ atmospherics, twisted technical mazes, and quite a █ █ few straight headbanging strokes, a ôsymphonyö of █ █ which even wizards like Mekong Delta and Deathrow █ █ would be proud. A really pleasant surprise which █ █ is followed by a ôWaltzö, but instead of being a █ █ tribute to Psychotic Waltz, for instance, this █ █ number is just a minimalistic brooding doomster █ █ without any technical decorations. Surprises, █ █ surprises, and more are coming, first with █ █ ôMadness Celebrationö which is brisk ripping █ █ technical thrash/death akin to InvocatorÆs █ █ ôExcursion Demiseö and Vacant GraveÆs ôLife or █ █ Deathö; and then with the gorgeously-titled ôThe █ █ Guide for the Fuckface Beginnersö, a fulsome █ █ tribute to the Floridian school again more on the █ █ direct, bashing side. █ █ ôTanksö brings back the higher forms of complexity █ █ with another 12-min of aggressive thrash/death █ █ rifforamas which interlace each other in a █ █ slightly dishevelled fashion recalling Hellwitch █ █ at times, the speedy parametres admirably █ █ sustained for a large portion of the song. ôRisen █ █ by Deathö is a stylish switch to technical █ █ Bay-Areasque thrash ala Forbidden and Heathen, but █ █ ôBreath of a Gloomö brutalizes the environment █ █ again clinging more towards the death metal side. █ █ More doom and gloom with the overlong 9-min █ █ dragger ôHaving the Rightö which ôhas the rightö █ █ to slow everything down to sleepy dimensions █ █ before ôNomadö wakes up everyone with aggressive █ █ explosive riffage, a moshing right as rain █ █ headbanger the situation pacified by the following █ █ ôBehind Youà Eternityö, a soothing ballad which at █ █ least shows the singer as a pretty decent █ █ performer with a more emotional cleaner timbre as █ █ elsewhere he shouts quite forcefully coming close █ █ to the death metal growlers. ôYour Damned Nameö is █ █ another relative mood spoiler, an awkward blend of █ █ doom and semi-ballad which doesnÆt quite end this █ █ fairly active opus in the most dignified manner. █ █ A lot of meandering through the metal spectre, for █ █ better or worse, the band not quite certain which █ █ nuance to stick to although this weird amalgam may █ █ have been intentional as well, enhancing to an █ █ extent their elaborate thrashy base. The purists █ █ may not be very happy as the stylistic fluctuation █ █ is experienced on a nearly song-by-song basis with █ █ contrasting approaches co-existing side by side █ █ the listener not knowing what to make of it at █ █ times. In terms of diversity this effort beats the █ █ ones of the other mentioned acts, but it doesnÆt █ █ feature too much exemplary musicianship to really █ █ reach them quality-wise. ItÆs a curious, frankly █ █ spontaneous on occasion, amalgamation of styles █ █ that works as separate showpieces, but as a whole █ █ it lacks coherence and refinement, trying to █ █ please a wider gamut of fans when just sticking █ █ with the thrash metal side would have been the █ █ better option. █ █ Well, it was a demo, after all, so the criticism █ █ shouldnÆt be too harsh although some flaws could █ █ still be detected on the full-length debut which █ █ saw the guys tightening their visions a bit from █ █ which suffered the dynamics; the death metal █ █ additives were completely gone replaced by more █ █ dreamy balladic/doomy passages which worked well █ █ in league with the minimalistic, less exuberant █ █ progressive thrash etudes. Not a bad showing at █ █ all, it also paved the way for the guysÆ exit from █ █ thrash which was completed on the third █ █ instalment, a spacey progressive affair siding █ █ with late-80Æs/early-90Æs Voivod, blase relaxed █ █ progressive with very little edge and verve. I █ █ guess by that time the K.G.B. agents had already █ █ found their other favourites, and were not █ █ interested in sponsoring the bandÆs endeavours █ █ anymoreà madmen, what can you do? To cause such an █ █ irreparable breach in the National Thrash █ █ Securityà █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Smert Sumasshedshego (V Dvuh Shagah ot 11:52 ░ ░ Zhizni) (Instrumental) ░ ░ 2. Vals 4:19 ░ ░ 3. Prazdnik Bezumiya 6:31 ░ ░ 4. Posobie dlya Nachinayushih Podonkov 7:03 ░ ░ 5. Tanki (Instrumental) 12:40 ░ ░ 6. Smertyu Vosstavshiy 4:42 ░ ░ 7. Dyhanie Mraka 6:55 ░ ░ 8. Imeyushchiy Pravo 9:00 ░ ░ 9. Strannik 5:00 ░ ░ 10. Kogda Pozadi Vechnost (Instrumental) 3:45 ░ ░ 11. Proklyato Imya Tvoe 7:45 ░ ░ 79:32 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░