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December 25th, 2009
It's the holiday season, and I've had a chance to switch over the site a bit. I also have posted a list of my favourite releases this year below. See you in 2010!
Feature
Atomizer - The Only Weapon Of Choice: 13 Odes To Power, Decimation & Conquest
December 28th, 2010
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label: Lycanthropic Fervour
Release Date: September 1st, 2003
Rating: 93%
Australia is home to a lot of my favourite metal bands, because they seem to have this ability of making really ripping records with memorable riffs. Atomizer definitely fits this description, but they manage to stand out amongst many of their fellow countrymen, putting their own Motorhead-esque twist on the black/thrash metal side of things. Their third album, "The Only Weapon Of Choice", can assure anyone that Atomizer deserves to be known as a classic Australian act with the likes Destroyer 666 and Gospel of the Horns.
The weapon of choice on this record is pretty obvious: riffs that absolutely rock. Infused with punk rhythms and a sense of melody that seems to be unique amongst Aussie bands, Atomizer hooks anyone who puts their ears to this record. There's nothing pretty or smooth about these riffs - they are neck-wrecking fast, and give this record the balls it needs to be effectively heavy. There's a good variety of riff styles here too, from really Motorhead-influenced, to tremolo picking madness, all the more stylized with drummer Suds' tight approach. He can blast, he can rock, and he can play hardcore punk beats, with some impressively quick fills. Tight playing, furious riffs, and even some slick guitar solos always lead to a great album.
Frontman Jason Healey's vocals work so well with Atomizer's sound. Instead of black metal howls or death grunts, we get a combination of evil, raspy rock vocals as well as some spoken word parts. He's fairly easy to understand, which really lets his stories of "power, decimation, and conquest" come alive. Much like the riffs, the lyrics end up becoming quite memorable, and will drive listeners to keep coming back for more of this furious record.
Every song on this record needs to be heard, there are no throwaway tracks here. I think this is Atomizer's best effort - nothing drags, nothing gets boring, and I can listen to this any time. Everything the band did with Suds on drums is a worthwhile listen (ie: if you've only heard their final album, disregard it, and listen to this instead). This album is a classic and one of the best things to come out of Australia.