Madrost - Into The Aquatic Sector

Hailing from California is the band Madrost, and their new full-length CD, "Into The Aquatic Sector" is nothing short of a musical masterpiece. A "Frankenstein" of sorts I guess you could call it. This was one of those releases that will surprise the hell out of you. Mixing elements of death, thrash, and a hint of progressive metal, Madrost definitely make a strong stand with the 8 songs presented here. The mixture of vibes and influences are well placed and absolutely nothing is overbearing here in any way. The artwork is really old school and because of that I can tell you that you definitely do not want to judge this release by the cover.

The mixture of riffs here are a balance of later 80’s and early 90’s style thrash blended nicely with mid 90’s style death metal. There is an ever so slight Swedish sound to the guitars in some of these tracks. It’s so slight that you may not pick up on it upon the first listen. I know I didn’t but after listening to it a second time, I notice it being there. The Swedish sound with the American style of playing is a great move for the band and it really works out in this material. It’s not real clean and polished but then again, it’s not real gritty sounding either. The band found a nice balance in between, and with full force, roll forward with a devastating set of tunes. As far as the drums go, I would have to say this is where the progressive element comes in and again, this is blended with the death/thrash metal style of playing. The patterns here aren’t all that complex, but it’s enough for you to sit up and take notice. In fact, the way the band has constructed and delivered this material almost commands you to sit up and take notice! Think about it, you have influences such as, Nocturnus, Kreator, Coroner, Sabbat (UK), Dark Angel, and Death going on here. With influences such as this being incorporated into the music, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that these guys aren’t just slapping riffs drums and vocals together just so they can say they have something out.

I have reviewed some really good releases so far this year, but I am now telling you that this one is in the top 5 without a doubt. I am impressed with everything from the riffs and solos all the way down to t he vocals with remind me of Kreator’s vocals with a slightly higher pitch and a more death metal approach. This CD is independently released and for an independent release the production is phenomenal. I definitely want to get their back catalogue and check their progression to this point. I don’t say that for a whole lot of bands only a select few, and this is one of those bands. From beginning to end there is nothing but extreme thrashing precision and devastation. So get this CD, you will not be disappointed in any sense of the word. Bang your head and let the solos carry you away!

  1. The Unknown
  2. Frozen Beneath The Snow
  3. Universal Energy
  4. Operation _Xenomorphic Protocol
  5. The Oceanic Prelude
  6. Subterranean Nightmare
  7. Into The Aquatic Sector
  8. Depravity

Self released
Reviewer: twansibon
Dec 6, 2014

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