Antonis Kalamoutsos
After seven years, Spearhead from UK strike back with their 4th album and it’s fair to say that, serving death metal since 2005, the band sounds like they have by now all the talent and experience required to establish themselves as a real underground force. And why not further than that?
Everything about Pacifism is Cowardice lives and breathes death metal. To be more precise, a very violent and battle-ready kind of death metal that is dedicated to a war-loving and nihilistic aura, sonically and lyrically. Their sound is sharp and aggressive built mainly in mid-range frequencies and not in blurry lows. Most of the time, the music is very intense and ultra-fast (thanks to the highly-skilled, neurotic drumming) but make no mistake, it’s the guitars that rule Spearhead’s sonic universe. Direct, wild, ferocious riffs and solos, straight out from the ever-present tradition of Morbid Angel and the likes. Personally, I enjoy very much the few mid-tempo riffs and I would like to hear a bit more of them as they sound really delicious.
There are no big surprises in the album's flow as the band seems like not having second thoughts regarding their song patterns. Despite this, I have to point out that the industrial elements of “Duellorum” and “Hyperanthropos” are wisely placed and add an extra element to the already “threatening” character of their music. While their personality is already strong enough, I really think that if such industrial/noise elements were to be used within “normal” tracks, their style would become a bit more personal and juicy. Having said all the above, I regard “Wolves of the Krypteia, We” as the album’s highlight with a totally classic intro riff and a delightful progression.
Pacifism is Cowardice, starting even from the title, seems to distill individualistic ideas and a philosophy of power and supremacy. Now, I know that in art everyone is free, artistic messages can be just role playing and that extreme forms of art may carry extreme thesis but I have to remark that this proud individualism, the Nietzschean references and the gunned image of the band may be innocent or just part of the role but it may also be something more. Living in dangerous social times, one must be cautious of these things, artists and fans equally. Though this fact has a negative weight on me personally, I am not considering it further in this review, keeping it focused in music.
Spearhead deliver their thunderous music with pure extremity and passion and I think that any death metal fan will appreciate their style, their sound and their performance. Truly and undoubtedly mastering their craft, they keep forging that old path of classic 90s death as genuine purists. Expanding their sound in order to attract some of the outsiders may not be the case for them and while it is not necessary, I believe that they would be seriously good at it!
Another very good album in a very competitive year for death metal, definitely not for the faint hearted.