Paganfire - Wreaking Fear and Death (2013)
The Philippines
Anger of Metal Records / Bestial Invasion
A few dozen demos and splits later, these Quezon City-based maniacs finally release their debut album upon the filthy masses entitled, "Wreaking Fear and Death." The music can be described as Thrash Metal in the vein of early Sodom, Exodus and Sabbat. The Asian element is quite prominent, as some of their song titles and lyrics are in their native tongue. Often a lot of Thrash Metal bands end up sounding sterile and boring due to over-polished production, that's why Paganfire is a breathe of fresh air as they retain a considerably raw tone, yet all the instruments can be heard in the mix. I find the production rather appealing. There's some Black/Death elements lurking in their sound, like the Necrovore-ish riffs on opener, "Bakal sa Bakal, Laman sa Laman" coupled with the general Mayhem-esque (Deathcrush era) buzz-tone of the guitars. Paganfire's sound will certainly find its appeal among the true metal legions and comes recommended to fans of bands (most notably their early works) such as Demolition Hammer, Mayhem, Exodus, Order From Chaos, Sodom, Sepultura, etc. Paganfire is like the drunkin' offspring of the aforementioned bands. This is not sheltered pseudo thrash with songs about the local pizza scene. Nope. This is raw, violent and uncompromising Thrash Metal that will surely send the hippies packing. (HT)