ALBUM REVIEW: Climate of Fear deliver a Holy Terror of an album

Climate of Fear, a UK hardcore metal band, are bringing us a ‘Holy Terror’ of an album and is due to land on 23rd February.

And boy, does this album play with you from the very start with a very soft, almost Spaghetti Western acoustic introduction, before you get slapped firmly in the face with a driving steam train of a track ‘Twisted Reality’.

‘Twisted Reality’ has a fast/slow tempo mix almost mimicking that train starting out from metal station and out onto the railway of oblivion. Paul’s vocals perfectly reflect the anger and frustration meted out through the musical assault of the drums, bass and guitar. It has a very strong Slayer feel about it, as do the other tracks on this album.  This one has a definite ‘Relentless’ feel to it.

Next is ‘Scorched Earth’, once again the uncontrolled aggression pummelling through the speakers will have you violently headbanging without a throwing save. It once again has an unstoppable, driven steam train riffage that just pushes along with brutality.

Then a short ‘Interlude’ that pulls you back to that western melancholy feel, tinged with a Metallica like sound till it pounds you into the ground just to make sure you know it’s a BLOODY interlude, mate!

Now onto ‘Entombed’ which comes in like a riotous cacophony of discord all the while the melodic aggression of the guitars punctuated by the drums pushes the song forward like a punch dagger shoved through your earlobes. A great sounding track full of little Egyptian like swirls weaves a mystical doom throughout.

Finally comes ‘Holy Terror’, and the track lives up to its name as it rushes you like an angry Spartan battle line out for blood. It powers through with an belligerence full of unrighteous indignation. It is interspersed with Paul’s usual rough throaty anger and primordial guttural utterings that give it a dark doom laden feel of Cthulhu-like nihilistic tendencies. And yet another pure headbanging track that delivers.

Overall, this EP is a fantastic full on moshfest of aggressively epic proportions.  Climate of Fear definitely provide, through ‘Holy Terror’, an album delivered with such a visceral brutality that it could single handed start and finish World War Three before beating you to death with sticks and stones, as it starts World War Four.

Even if you are not a hardcore/thrash/speed metal fan, the melodic ferociousness of this EP will keep any headbanger happy.

This is a great debut and needs to be added to your collection.

Review by Ivor Whitten

Released on 23 February, ‘Holy Terror’ is available through Demons Run Amok Entertainment Pre-orders up now at www.climateoffearuk.bigcartel.com.