Merendine
New World Disorder

It would seem as though June 29 was a day of thrash metal for the Metalville label considering that all three albums they released that day was thrash metal. I have already dealt with Perzonal War and Drone of these and now it is time for Merendine, the italian band who has just released their fourth album called New World Disorder. An album that has received worryingly few reviews since its release and the one I found was not that positive either. Maybe they had looked at only the cover because that was something that looked like shit. But let us now look at this quintet of guys where 60% are called Luca and the rest starts with a D.

They do leave us with a thrash metal album, not a very innovative one but one that sticks true to form. Maybe it is a bid polished, a bit smoothened over the edges so to speak and maybe some purists will call it overproduced and maybe it is. I would also say that if you are looking for a thrash metal album that is varied, this isn’t really it as it is twelve quite similar tracks playing for a bit over 50 minutes. In all honesty it is really difficult to say much about this album, it is well produced, the singer is quite good and seen to the production it is a good album all the way.

Not the most fantastic thrash metal album I have ever heard, it is quite good but nothing really special if I am honest. It feels typical for the genre and is well made but I have some reservations as it feels a bit like they are lacking in identity, it is just one of those albums that you just go through without really noticing them. The album is good and definitely not bad, but at the same time one could really wish for them to just try and did inside themselves and find an own voice rather than copying the likes of Annihilator, Metallica and stuff like those bands. It is fairly good to listen to and maybe if you like thrash metal you’ll find this fascinating.

Besides lacking an own voice I also think they should have been more aggressive, as far as I am concerned thrash metal is very much about controlled aggression and controlled chaos and this album has neither of those. New World Disorder feels neither new nor disordered, it is a well made, well polished and decent album that doesn’t quite reach beyond the shoulder shrug level.

HHHHHHH