LIGATURE — Extinction Agenda (review)

LIGATURE — Extinction Agenda album cover Demo · 1998 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Vim Fuego
Once touted as one of London’s best up-and-coming Extreme Metal bands, Ligature started plying their trade in the mid-1990s as Abattoir. ‘Extinction Agenda’ was this tight live unit’s first studio demo. Taking cues from Slayer and pre-‘Roots’ Sepultura, Ligature’s sound was a tough mix of thrash leaning toward death metal.

There’s no messing about because studio time is expensive for bands when they’re paying for it themselves. “Persona Non Grata” starts promisingly enough, with a catchy bass rumble. The instruments sound clear enough, but the overall feel is just a bit muffled. Vocalist Mark Blennerhassett starts strongly too, with a throaty shout. Unfortunately, the chorus is a bit off, where he shouts the first word of each line out of tune. The solos are a little lost in the mix, but if you turn it up really LOUD, (what other volume is appropriate for metal on anyway?) you can hear them clearly enough. Overall though, it is a very tight song, although it does loosen up a little in the final passage, but it’s excusable.

“Law Unto My Own” sounds like a more extreme Sacred Reich, political lyrics and all. Blennerhassett turns on a far more controlled display on this track, with a perfect gruff Phil Rhind impression. Bassist Laurent Lecoq makes himself known, leading from the back with some tasty licks and flourishes. There is a clumsy gap in the song, but it’s easily ignored.

Final track “Deity Of Destruction” is Slayer worship through and through. The opening riff is reminiscent of something off Slayer’s mid-90s albums, and quite memorable. It is a better version of what Sepultura tried and failed to deliver on ‘Against’. Ligature seem most comfortable on this track, and perhaps should have focused more on heavy mid-tempo material like this instead of attempting faster material full of blast beats.

While this demo is no ‘No Life ‘Til Leather’ it’s not a dog either. Far worse bands have earned record deals with lesser demos than this. Sure, there are cock-ups and the mix isn’t great, but the embryo of a very promising band was there. The sound of the band changed after this demo, and the band has never achieved the recognition it deserves, but this is a better than average demo.
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