RUNNING DEATH — The Call of Extinction (review)

RUNNING DEATH — The Call of Extinction album cover

EP · 2012 · Thrash Metal

4.5/5 · 2014-05-09
Time Signature

Celebrate your aggression...

Genre: thrash metal

Aaahhh.... thrash metal. It's awesome, isn't it? Well, it is if done right, and if you want an example of thrash metal done right, then the German band Running Death's 2012-EP "The Call of Extinction" is a good candidate.

The opening track 'Unleashed' starts out with a mellow and melodic intro before it, well, unleashes the madness in the form of some fierce and semi-technical riffage followed by heavy verses, strangely melodic pre-choruses, and groovy passages, while the chorus itself is more oriented towards heavy hardcore or crossover. As with the remaining tracks on the EP, the opener is technical, but not self-indulgent, and full of variation, while still capturing the aggressive energy that characterizes good thrash metal. 'Killing for Gods' is a heavier affair which draws extensively on groove metal akin to what you might hear on Overkill's "I Hear Black". Fans of tasty guitar licks can also indulge in a couple of slick neo-classically oriented guitar solos. 'Call of Extinction' starts out with a seamless blend of Testament-like thrash and more hardcore oriented riffage but takes on an almost hard rock like nature in the verse before jumping back into fierce thrash in the chorus. This track also features some nice moshing-friendly midtempo and heavier sections as well as some more technical bursts, and is actually abundant in variation. Come to think of it, this song takes us from Testament over Anthrax and Overkill to Suicidal Tendencies in one fell swoop. That's quite a feat! 'Celebrate Your Aggression' is, perhaps ironically (the title taken into consideration), a heavy and rather technical track, rich in layers and facets. It also features some nice traditional heavy metal elements and impressive guitar solos. The title is not totally arbitrary, as the tune does feature some fierce uptempo passages. The last song 'Hunting for Heads' takes us back into Testament-inspired territory and neatly balanced between aggression, technicality, and melody.

I have to say that this EP is musically, goddamn fucking awesome. The musicianship is impeccable as is the songwriting, and the compositions thereon are sufficiently complex to challenge the listener, while still accessible and, importantly, aggressive and energetic. I have mentioned Testament a couple of times as a point of reference. This is not to say that Running Death are Testament rip-offs (I think there is some Testament worship going on, but that's not that same as ripping them off), but Testament is one of those bands who have successfully managed to strike a balances between melody, complexity, and aggression. And so have Running Death, so that's where the point of comparison lies. Anyway, he musicianship is top notch, as mentioned, as the performance across the board is super tight, and the guitar solos technically advanced and impressive, yet melodic and compelling.

The only sort of weak point of the EP, for my money, are the vocals. They fall within the vein of rather typical Teutonic thrash vocals, being slightly harsh and screechy. This does not work all the time, I think, but it's not that the singing ruins the listening experience at all, and it does suit the aggressive and heavy parts quite well.

This is a friggin' awesome thrash metal EP. It features so many qualities that characterize excellent thrash metal, so, if you're into thrash metal in general and bands like Testament or Overkill in particular, you should check it out.