REACTOR
The Tribunal Above
(Vic Records)
33:02min

Does anybody remember this band or this demo? "The Tribunal Above" comes from a period when superfluous or mediocre releases were a minority. With just one demo this band made a big impression in 1991 and Vic Records deserves credit for also re-releasing this underground gem on CD. Considering the positive review in the first Mortician mags (of which Vic Records founder Roel van Reijmersdal used to be part of) the choice for this release is reasonable. Labelling "The Tribunal Above" as classic may be a subject of discussion in terms of catchiness or agression but in terms of brutality and sheer atmosphere these five tracks are awesome. After "The Tribunal Above" these guys from Switzerland changed their moniker to SICKENING GORE and released one album called "Destructive Reality". The level of this demo was never reached and eventually the band split up in anonymity. It’s too bad this demo is their only effort under REACTOR. Musicwise it sounds like a mix of ancient CREMATORY (Swe), BAPHOMET and GOREFEST. The production is raw and typical for the era of its release and you distinguish every instrument. Greatest asset of this release and probably a big reason for the memory are the vocals done by guitarist Neni. These are very raw, very deep, growling and in one word amazing. Comparable to those of Michael Poulsen on the first DOMINUS record. Still great to hear them again after all these years. Listen and judge for yourself. In case you have the tape and played it so much it needs replacement, don’t hesitate and order. For more info, go to www.vicrecords.com

Michael Tak

Michael Tak

Related reviews / interviews:
REACTOR - The Funnel (Michael Kujawska)

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