Thunraz -
Borderline
Self-released
Estonia
Thunraz is a death metal project from Estonia
(Northern Europe), consisting of Madis Jalakas, and “Borderline” is the third
album (and the fifth release overall) under the project’s name.
It’s worth noting that Thunraz released two albums
in 2023: “Revelation” and “Borderline” So how does “Borderline” compare to
“Revelation”, you might ask? Well, “Borderline” hits every bit as hard as its predecessor.
If anything, the album sounds heavier and more chaotic, with nine tracks of devastating
and soul-crushing death metal that also incorporates influences from hardcore
and doom.
The recording has a murky quality to it, yet
everything sounds comparatively audible. On the previous album, Jared Moran
(Acausal Intrusion, Psionic Madness, etc.) played drums, but on this recording
Madis pretty much handled everything himself, from bass to guitars to vocals to
drums, and did an excellent job.
The guitar rhythms are tighter than Rambo’s
headband, with exceedingly heavy riffs that maul you like a spiked whip,
coupled with flexible bass riffs and pugnacious vocals that range from martial
growls to hellish screams. The inclusion of clean vocals makes the songs more
interesting and even reminded me of Dax Riggs from Acid Bath. The sludge
influence is obvious due to the slow-to-mid tempos, although it’s interesting
how the songs manage to sound so discordant even during the slower segments.
The atmosphere on this release is exceptionally dark
and melancholic, often bordering on black metal, although it’s not impossible
to assume that there’s some black metal influence given the hopeless and negative
texture of the music. If anything, I'd say Thunraz is in a class of their own
as they combine an array of influences and yet miraculously make it work with
relative ease as each composition is cohesive, succinct and
straight-to-the-point.
Some bands that come to mind while listening to
Thunraz include Immolation, Acid Bath, Soilent Green and Godflesh. These
reference points should more or less give you an idea of what to expect. Every
track on this album is killer, but some highlights include “Monument”, “Weight
of Time” and “You and Me” (unarguably the apex of the album).
Thunraz is an
underground extreme metal project that categorically puts out great releases
for the style they play. This being said, “Borderline” is a solid offering from
beginning to end, with 30 minutes of deranged Death Metal madness that will
make all pretenders leave the hall, as the music on this release comes from a
sincere and dark place.