Tag Archives: the true speed of steel

Razormaze – Miseries [Review]

Posted on May 14, 2010 | 1 comment

Now, I don’t want to make it a habit to review EPs of bands all the time, but I’ve made an exception due to a special request. So, let’s talk about Boston-based Razormaze‘s new (free!) EP Miseries. The EP was released unto the word on April 27th through the band’s Bandcamp page.

Miseries by Razormaze

So, I’ve been listening to these guys a lot, including seeing them multiple times live, since before their first full-length, The True Speed of Steel (which I reviewed) back in ’09. Needless to say, I was quite surprised when I heard Miseries. Where The True Speed of Steel was a bit silly and funny at times, there’s little fun to be had with this EP. It’s foot-to-the-throat for all three songs, which is both good and bad. The most endearing part of Razormaze’s first full-length was how fun it was, which at times overshadowed the over-the-top attitude of the band members. It’s nice to know, however, that the guys can make music that’s more serious, though (which helps them avoid being treated like band who rely on schtick to be successful).

In terms of the music and production, though, it’s another stretch in the right direction for Razormaze. It’s still full of catchy riffs and melody lines everywhere, and the guitar solos just keep improving. A lot of people criticized Alex Citrone’s vocals on The True Speed of Steel (I always thought they were great), and he’s stepped up his game as well. The only real downside I can see to the new stuff is that they’ve started to wander away from their very unique brand of thrash in favor of a less original and more traditional thrash sound (which, if you think about it, might not even be a negative).

Regardless, Miseries does just what a good EP should do – shows promise of forthcoming new material and gets the mouths of ravenous fans watering.

Since there’s only three tracks, I’m not going to give the EP a rating or make track selections, but I’ll say it’s definitely worth checking out. You can grab a copy for free from the band’s Bandcamp page in just about any format you like.

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Razormaze – The True Speed of Steel [Review]

Posted on August 11, 2009 | 3 comments

Razormaze has burst onto the New England metal scene with their first full-length release The True Speed of Steel, released by Hold True Recordings.

razormaze the true speed of steel

Thrash. Fucking. Metal. Those are the only three words you need to describe The True Speed of Steel. Regardless, I’ll give you some more insight.

From start to finish, this album rips open new assholes, bangs heads, and every other awesome metal cliché in the books. The album starts off on a really odd note, with a great bass groove – then shreds all over your face and moves onto some glorious riffage. The album traverses through anything and everything you have ever heard in a thrash metal song (from all corners of the thrash metal universe: teutonic, bay area, crossover, etc.). The album even has the wild west “showdown whistle” played on guitar in one of their songs (“Desperado”).

Thinking as has hard as I can, I cannot come up with a suitable comparison for Razormaze. They draw influence from early Metallica records, but are not nearly as long-winded in style. At times a Kreator influence is present, sometimes more of a Testament influence. I think, all-in-all, the closest relatable band to Razormaze would be Nuclear Assault – the problem is that Razormaze have only one album, and it is much better than any release Nuclear Assault ever put out.

Eight songs and 32.5 minutes after starting the The True Speed of Steel, I found myself at a loss for words. So much awesome had been pounded into my ears I knew not what to do, but listen again. Five times. This album is a perfect mix of shredding, great lyrics, gang vocals, riffage, and thrashing to quench the thirst of any metal fan, certainly anyone who considers themselves a thrash metal connoisseur.

A perfectly recorded, performed, and mastered album – this is an absolute must-have. It is amazing to think that this is the band’s first full-length (they only had one EP before this album). Barring any sort of huge catastrophe, this band really could make some waves. Needless to say, I am a “Slave to the maze.”

Track picks: “Slaughterotica” and “Slave to the Maze”

Overall score: 10/10 devil horns

GO BUY THIS ALBUM. I can assure you will not regret it.
(click the album art above, it will take you to the webstore)

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