EXTINCTION AGENDA
Inter Arma Silent Leges
(Visceral Circuitry Records)
21:16min

The resurrection has commenced! Old school Speed / Thrash Metal is blooming as a genre these years. Often mixed with a raw dose of unrelentless Punk or an evil splash of lo-fi Black Metal. We have a great bunch of youngans leading the way with new bands, new fresh old ideas and new releases. It has also led to re-animations of older gangs of Speed and Thrash Metal, and a good deal of re-releases of different material from yesteryears, for good and worse. EXTINCTION AGENDA is a band from yesteryear, one of those bands that never made it, for some reason. The band hails from Massachusetts, USA and roamed from 2004 to 2007. They released a split tape with Swedish OPPRESSION on the great French tape label Nihilistic Holocaust, a demo (which is the material released on the already mentioned split) and a self-released EP – and then the band disappeared. Until today, where Visceral Circuitry Records has compiled the 2005 demo and the 2006 EP “The Grace Defile” on this tape release. The first track on the demo material is quite strong, a good Speed Metal feel with nostalgic touches, fierce riffing and an aggressive in your face vocal, it takes you back to the good old 80s and the Crossover days, where Speed Metal, Thrash Metal and Hardcore met in a viscous circle pit! Quite chaotic and pounding, with a great hooking lead riff and some solid rhythmic hooks and a good breakdown. The second track starts with an almost CANNIBAL CORPSE like riff and then takes it into the Speed Metal regime, again good riffing and those vocals, damn – and the wicked drum patterns, it’s all good. The third track starts out like that as well, though soon becomes a tad darker and melodic – at first I thought that the track lost some energy, when it went all and melodic, though after countless listens, it keeps the intensity and is nice development from the two first, more classic Speed Thrashers. The vocals are still wicked on “The Grace Defile”, though much more controlled than on the demo, which is a shame. The guitar riffing is nowhere as wicked as on the demo though, the riffing needs some punch. It seems like the song writing has been concentrated on more hooking parts and a tad of groove – and some well deserved space for some wicked bass lines, and some more technical progression. I like it simpler though, the energy is still here, though I don’t find the tracks as intense and gripping as on the demo. The production on the EP is also a tad more muted and focused on the low end and somewhat more clean and polished – and not as in your face as the more weighted and aggressive sound on the demo. After having blasted the two releases from EXTINCTION AGENDA for a little while, the reason for the band not going anywhere is clear. They guys lost a good deal of the intensity of the demo, onwards to the EP. The intensity that carried the three demo tracks. It seems like the band found their way into a technical and progressive corner, that they couldn’t fight their way out from again. There are so many great details on the EP, it doesn’t really work though. This release is a great look into the history of EXTINCTION AGENDA, and there some good things spread around the 7 tracks – and there are a lot of wicked moments. If you get a real kick out of Speed Metal with a thrashy to technical edge, this release will make you headbang. If not… well… Enter the raging violence: www.facebook.com/visceralcircuitryrecs

Anders Peter Jørgensen

Anders Peter Jørgensen

Related reviews / interviews:
EXTINCTION AGENDA - Split Tape (Ulrich Kreienbrink)

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