Irreverence - Shreds Of Humanity

Labelled as thrash/death and based in Italy, this band has a lot of power behind their music. If you take the millennium onwards era of Slayer for the guitar sound and the influence of German thrash titans like Kreator, Sodom and in some place Tankard, you have a healthy flavour of the Irreverence arsenal. Irreverance are clearly influenced by past masters with a sound that’s fresh and updated, especially the brutal stance of Riccardo Paioro’s vocals.

‘Paradox’ begins spectacularly; with a riff and feel that heralds some nasty thrash visions of annihilation then continues like a modern Exodus track. ‘Mankind Persecutors’ sounds a little riffy like Megadeth, coupled with a Sodom pounding when the track gets going. ‘Bullets’ has some cool lead breaks and thus continues the pattern of the release. The more brutal side of thrash is very much present, but for me it’s the harsh vocal that tends to lead the uninitiated into labelling as thrash/death. It is more brutal, it does however work.

For all the brilliance and enjoyment we get from this release, I still think there is something that could be improved in the balance between the vocals and the music, but still, don’t let that take anything away from this album or band. This is a hefty slab of Italian metal pushing the boundaries of thrash extremity across two continents of influences. I do however think it’s quite hard in this climate to be pushing this style, certainly based on my own countries popular genres at the moment, but never less, enjoy ‘Shreds of Humanity’ for what it is, a brutal assault of thrash influences peppered with a boosted modern production and an effortless consistent flow.


  1. Dark Fields 
  2. Shreds Of Humanity 
  3. React, Reborn  
  4. Paradox  
  5. Discordianism  
  6. Estranged  
  7. Fear 
  8. Mankind Persecutors  
  9. Endeavour To Live  
  10. Bullets

Reviewer: twansibon
Jul 7, 2014
Next review: Morko - Itsensanimeava

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