Panoptikon – Red Scare
The intro on "Red Scare", which is Panoptikon’s six track EP released June 15th of 2013, is a piece of ‘If I Didn’t Care’ by the Inkspots, released in 1939. At first listen, you might think you popped the wrong CD in your player or that what you thought was death metal your little ears waited for in earnest was recorded over by your grandmother. Let that one resonate with you for a moment.
The intro, only fifty-five seconds long and aptly titled 'Intro,' is chilling with the soft, peaceful music of the Inkspots slowly interrupted by an air raid siren. Interesting, since the air-raid siren and 'If I Didn’t Care' by the Inkspots both came about at the start of World War II.
After the intro, it is a full-on blow to the ears with raging instruments and angry vocals, which is nothing new in the world of death metal. However, Panoptikon mixes their gruesome grooves with simple bass lines making this album about as old school as it gets when it comes to death/thrash metal.
'Shredded To Pieces' is a classic example of what a stellar thrash song should sound like. There are breaks and changes in the song, but the distinct lack of melodies, harmonies and fancy leads is impeccable leaving a raw, unembellished listening experience.
The title track, 'Red Scare' is hauntingly ominous with nasty vocals mixed with breaks of bass and drums. This is a raw song screaming with tones of death metal from the early days.
The fascinating this about this EP: If you let it loop, it is like being in a warped dimension of WWII and post-apocalyptic carnage with the music as a backdrop to incoming bombs and flaming carcasses in the streets.
More fascinating: if you walked by any of the members of Panoptikon on the street, you would never guess they were in a death metal band.
The intro, only fifty-five seconds long and aptly titled 'Intro,' is chilling with the soft, peaceful music of the Inkspots slowly interrupted by an air raid siren. Interesting, since the air-raid siren and 'If I Didn’t Care' by the Inkspots both came about at the start of World War II.
After the intro, it is a full-on blow to the ears with raging instruments and angry vocals, which is nothing new in the world of death metal. However, Panoptikon mixes their gruesome grooves with simple bass lines making this album about as old school as it gets when it comes to death/thrash metal.
'Shredded To Pieces' is a classic example of what a stellar thrash song should sound like. There are breaks and changes in the song, but the distinct lack of melodies, harmonies and fancy leads is impeccable leaving a raw, unembellished listening experience.
The title track, 'Red Scare' is hauntingly ominous with nasty vocals mixed with breaks of bass and drums. This is a raw song screaming with tones of death metal from the early days.
The fascinating this about this EP: If you let it loop, it is like being in a warped dimension of WWII and post-apocalyptic carnage with the music as a backdrop to incoming bombs and flaming carcasses in the streets.
More fascinating: if you walked by any of the members of Panoptikon on the street, you would never guess they were in a death metal band.
1. Intro
2. Red Scare
3. Shredded To Pieces
4. World Of Dirt
5. Meltdown
2. Red Scare
3. Shredded To Pieces
4. World Of Dirt
5. Meltdown
Self released
Reviewer: Darlene Steelman
Sep 30, 2013
Sep 30, 2013
Next review:
Napalm Death - Utopia Banished
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