Holycide has already established themselves as a dominating force with their first two albums, Annihilate… Then Ask! and Fist to Face, respectively. Now they’re following their 2023 EP Bazookiller, up with their third full-length album, Towards Idiocracy. It’s completely evident here that classic raw, savage thrash metal is still being done the right way. Sonically, they conjure the likes of Exodus, Destruction, Vio-Lence, D.R.I., Dark Angel, Sodom, early Kreator, et al. Their approach to classic thrash metal is methodical and focused. And never before have they sounded so driven and resolute.
Sometimes, a lot of times, contemporary thrash metal bands claim to be capable of bringing back the authenticity of the genre’s formative years during the 1980s but end up falling short along the way. There are a lot of bands that have little to no real understanding of the music. Sometimes classic influences are applied too literally and bands come off sounding like cheap carbon copies. Whatever the case, Holycide is emphatically not that. If not before, then on Towards Idiocracy, the band’s passion and commitment to the music comes through.
No frills. Out of the gate it’s immediate unadulterated, aggression with “A.I. Supremacy”, setting things up with a relentless assault that happens frequently throughout the duration of the album’s playtime. Towards Idiocracy proves to be an incredibly dynamic album with its tempos ranging from fast to faster. While the music retains a classic feel from start to finish, there are spots where some unorthodox riffing stands out and gives the band’s overall ‘sound’ growth and more distinction.
For all intents and purposes, there’s a collective adroitness in terms of the songwriting or playing abilities, though there’s nothing self-serving or gratuitous about the musical contents. Vocalist Dave Rotten delivers his caustic vocal performances with deliberation and unremitting enmity. Musically speaking, the guitars are exceptional with their ear-catching riffs and technical abilities and they attack with furious fire. Each solo is a standout as they range from blistering to melodic, depending on the individual needs of the songs they adorn. The rhythm section is no joke and they do not fuck around. They’re extremely tight and deliver a crushing heaviness that sounds bent on pummeling whatever is in their path.
On average, the songs range from 3.5 to 4.5 minutes so there’s not a lot of fucking about going on. Intros and interludes have their places, but not here. And the album benefits from the use of modern recording, mixing, and mastering that make the production values as clear as possible be so that you can hear even its most subtle nuances. There’s no beating around the bush or killing time. They get to the heart of the matter. That in itself makes Towards Idiocracy an easy listen. It it’s loaded up with ten songs—including a killer take on Atrophy’s ”Chemical Dependence”—that all play through in just under 40 minutes. There’s no excess fat to be trimmed off in order to make it a more effective, enjoyable album. Toward Idiocracy is absolutely worth some of your precious time.
STATIKNOIZE 