Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 06:18 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Alcoholic Poser-Bashing Assault
Country: Sweden
Label: Metal Blade Records
Year: 2016
I’ll try to be kind with some good manners on this one. If you like keyboards, endless solos, 10-minute songs with pianos, female vocals and pretty faces looking at the camera like it’s a dick, lyrics about romance or inner spiritual matters, lame sound or radio hits, you can fuck off and read something else.
Now let’s give this review another start.
Gehennah’s story goes back in the 90’s, back when metal was bastardized by so called progress. It was this band and a few others that kept the flag of the uncompromising metal spirit high. How they did it? With a raw, dirty, vulgar and explosive mix of punk (yes punk, you got any problem?), Motorhead, Venom with a Bulldozer flavor and an early British Heavy Metal aftertaste.
Back in today this thing hasn’t changed a bit. Their new album is called “Too Loud To Live Too Drunk To Die” and it meets the high standards that the band set with their classic albums like “King Of The Sidewalk”, “Hardrocker” and “Decibel Rebel”.
The album starts with “Still The Elite” and I swear I had to check that it’s not an unreleased song of Fast Eddie Clarke I’m listening to. That’s for starters because when the song kicks in you will feel the need to break something, preferably the head of someone you know he likes larger-than-life productions with a million guitar layers and a plastic drum sound. Piss off (I’m drinking) these guys record live in the studio on analog. So go hide in a hole or something.
Next is “Life Metal Must Die”. After two hearings the chorus will glue in your mind like a pizza delivery bike that fell in fresh concrete. Ideal song to give your friend that survived “Still The Elite”, the final strike.
Now comes the title track. Imagine you’re on a highway driving a breakless steamroller, drunk and blindfold and in front of you are lined all these so called music teachers, all these fucking posers, all these bands that simply suck. One of the best tracks of the album with an extra zip of spit by Mr Violence. Absolutely fantastic.
“Scumbag” is as dirty and rude as it’s title and it’s perfect to blast it outside a gym, wearing nothing but the stink of vomit while eating a large greasy steak with your bare hands and laughing with those who work out and produce a river of sweat that runs between their ass cheeks.
Coming next is “Gehennah Will Destroy Your Life”. What’s this? A rockabilly riff in a Gehennah song? Yes and this one also kicks ass. The shortest song of the album (2 minutes) has it all. The chorus sounds like they threat someone to read to lyrics and then stab him. Hysteric. Dirty. Perfect.
Then comes my favorite. “Let’s Fall Off The Wagon”. This is the grandeur of this band you progressive apes. This is one the bands best songs, this is a fucking audio drug that you love to overdose with, this is a huge middle finger to everyone else. Simple as that.
It’s obvious but it’s also the title of the next song. “Cause We’re A Street Metal Band”. This one could go back and sneak in the “Hardrocker” album with its unstoppable speed and it’s catchy chorus. Put on this earth only to destroy. You want to beat someone? Here’s your soundtrack.
Then comes my least favorite song of the album, “Tonight We Fight”. It’s not bad, it’s not a filler, it’s just that the other songs are too damn good!
Back with the frenzy of “When All Else Fails-Destroy”. Another Gehennah classic made to sow the panic in their gigs and send you in the nearest market to buy all the beers that sit and wait in the fridge. This should be played loud outside the Sunday church.
Next one is “Low On Cash, High On Speed” with its huge rocker riff, a demonstration of chaos and sleaze on its best form. Blast it on the stereo and call your local drug dealer. Another Gehennah classic.
“We Stole Your Song” has that boogie, groovie feeling and could easily be on any side of the Decibel Rebel album.Another classic-this one is good for listening while sneezing in other people’s food.
“Unholy And Unpleasant” is one of the album’s best. Primitive, without class and a fuck you attitude right in your face. If someone hates Gehennah this will make him hate them even more. Take your neighbors for example or bands that jump up down on stage like they have turpentine up their butthole. You know who you are.
And finally “All Of The Decadence, None Of The Success”. No better way to close the album than this one. A bit mid tempo (for the band’s standards at least) and one more great song. Of course we can’t skip the bands performance.
While most bands’ sound tired over the years which is a natural thing, Gehennah sounds like they made this album somewhere in their early 20’s. I don’t have the info on who’s wrote what, but I’m guessing the lyrics are work of Mr Violence and they are once more a fucking masterpiece so is his vocals. Also Hellcop is still the strongest drummer in the universe. Hear this record, see them live and you’ll know what I mean. And in Bass that was always essential to the forging of their sound, Knuckleduster is doing what he does best. Last but not least Stringburner. He is an evil mastermind.
In conclusion now, “Too Loud Too Live Too Drunk To Die” is a worthy successor of all their classic albums. If you never liked Gehennah, you won’t like this one either but if you came this far and this band has something to say to you then go grab this fucker. And if you ask if this album is as good as “King Of The Sidewalk” to deserve a 6/6,my answer is that the calendar says 2016, not 1996. So we can talk about it in 20 years. Till then let Gehennah destroy your life.
5,5/6
