Most acts wouldn’t thrive on being known as their native country’s “most hated band”. And yet, it’s exactly this distinction that Violentor wears as a badge of honor, proudly embracing their status as Italy’s #1 metallic disgrace for 15 years running. The infamous power trio have been causing chaos since their inception, leaving a trail of victims along the way. Led by founder Alessio “Dog” Medici, the band adheres strongly to old school traditions, drawing heavily from the well of rotten crust punk, classic thrash, and first wave black metal. All of this can be heard on Violentor’s latest decibel onslaught, Burn in Metal.
Less of an “album” per se and more of a sonic blur of hellish noise, Burn in Metal is an exercise in true metal at its most barbaric. Mind you, that doesn’t necessarily make it “good”. It does, however, make it a release of note for those who feel black metal peaked before it got into the grubby paws of those corpsepaint faced Norwegians, or even those who care for nothing more than a cold beer, breakneck riffs, and tales of metallic debauchery. If nothing more, Burn in Metal is pure poser repellent, its savage attack far too lethal for the Gojira and Slipknot listeners of the world.
For an album that’s largely one-dimensional and redundant, Violentor rips the bandage off fast, walloping us with the most repetitive cut of all in the opening “The Return of the Assassins”. It becomes pretty clear from this opener alone what this band is all about, and that’s prioritizing pure chaos over dynamics or musical chops. In fact, at certain points, the band sounds disjointed altogether, particularly on songs like “Pitch Black” and “Voievod” (not to be confused with “Voivod” from Canada’s most beloved band of the same name). The only album I can point to as a direct comparison is the sole album from cult French thrashers Morsüre, Acceleration Process.
That being said, Burn in Metal is not without its highlights. At their best, they channel the devilish rage of fellow countrymen Bulldozer and Witchtrap. This can be heard on ultra-violent thrashers like “Storm of Blasphemies” and “Failed Dystopian Agenda”. “Stevanin” even borders on early Slayer, with perhaps a hint of punky attitude thrown in. Rounding it all out is a no frills Venom-esque black ‘n’ roller, “Night of the Werewolves”. As a staunch devotee of Cronos, Mantas, and Abaddon, it should come as no surprise I find this to be the strongest cut on the affair.
I’d come off as a low-testosterone dork if I said Burn in Metal totally sucked. In the same breath, considering the caliber of material released this year within the same realm from the likes of Midnight, Bewitcher, and the aforementioned Witchtrap, I’d be lying if I said I could see myself revisiting it ever again. This makes no difference to Violentor. They’ll continue desecrating and devastating their motherland, whether you like it or not. That, my friends, is what true heavy metal is all about: Sticking to your guns at full volume, no matter what anyone else says. Burn on, Violentor, burn on!
5 out of 10
Label: Folter Records
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal
For fans of: Bulldozer, Witchtrap, Morsüre