Burden Of Grief are a thrash metal band from Germany formed in 1994 releasing eight albums to date – ‘Haunting Requeims’ (2000), ‘On Darker Trails’ (2001), ‘Fields Of Salvation’ (2003), ‘Death End Road’ (2007), ‘Follow The Flames’ (2010), ‘Unchained’ (2014), ‘Eye Of The Storm’ (2018), and ‘Destination Dystopia’ (2023).
Formed by singer Mike Huhmann and guitarist Philipp Hanfland, the band have enjoyed a thirty year career, endured line-up changes and survived changing musical fashions and trends! Yet in the shape of ‘Destination Dystopia’, Burden Of Grief still don’t bow to current fashions or trends, delivering their heaviest, and most probably best album of their career. With ten new songs across forty six aggressive and fairly ferocious minutes, the band lay waste to the airways with a tornado of thrash, launching with ‘World Under Attack’ – and a one minute mellow build up before all hell breaks fucking loose! ‘World Under Attack’ is a fast paced thrash metal assault with gruff vocals, echoing the sound of the legendary Teutonic Four – Kreator in particular!
The intensity of the opening salvo is incredible, ‘Destination Dystopia’ marching on with more hustle and bustle courtesy of ‘A Daydream Of Sorrow’ – the band dropping a gear and introducing a little more menace! Thrash metal in all its shapes and sizes is fucking glorious, the (albums) first two songs showing just two sides of the thrash metal genre – when we all know there’s many many more! Hopefully Burden Of Grief will show us – fingers crossed. And with an electrifying upturn in speed, ‘Exposed To The Dark’ is a rampant rush of all out pace, banging heads with more vim and vigour than either of the two previous songs. The band are a gear changing tempo changing force of nature that can’t be tamed – but why would you wanna tame something that’s so fucking good? Pace remains high for the blistering ‘Downfall’, aggression and brutality levels both rising to new heights! I know the albums only four songs in, but it’s simply getting better and better – Burden Of Grief thrashing hard with just the lightest touch of traditional metal!
‘Destination Dystopia’ is turning in a performance that’s making it very attractive to fans of both thrash, and heavy metal – and I’m loving it! ‘Fevered Dreams’ picks up the baton and runs full steam ahead, shuddering the ground and shaking buildings with an immense amount of force! And as the album approaches the half way mark. the five piece from Warburg are setting the airways alight with a terrific display of aggression fuelled thrash metal! Not to mention the huge amount of savagery, the band slowing the tempo to bring the heavy foot stomping style of thrash to the fore – ‘The Devil’s Bride’ a menacing march full of sinister leanings and scary intentions! And I just have to mention the intensity level yet again – a level that’s stretching way beyond anything I’ve heard recently, Burden Of Grief delivering a cacophony of thrash metal that’s gonna send every single mosh pit around the world into overdrive! Blistering pace makes a welcome return in the shape of ‘Mass Murder Society’, brutality and aggression flowing freely like lava from an exploding volcano! And just as hot too – the band scorching the Earth to leave a fiery trail of smoke and devastation in their wake.
Title song ‘Destination Dystopia’ shifts the album up a gear, the opening thirty seconds or so displaying the fastest thrash metal heard so far – the band resuming their masterful gear changing tempo changing style of thrash. It’s a fucking pleasure to listen to, my ears tingling with excitement, my whole body aching for more! And more I’m gonna get, for there’s still two songs left to go – ‘Fall Into Oblivion’ racing outta the blocks with immediate purpose and intent! I tell ya readers, this album is a non-stop and unforgiving barrage of thrash metal, stretching neck muscles to their limits! And beyond! What a rush – a rush that’s coming to an end, for the final song is about to arrive. But you all know what the replay button was invented for? Albums just like this one, to be replayed time and time again – ‘My Suicide’ maintaining the albums unbroken and incredible level of intensity! Not to mention the aggression, brutality, savagery, and head bang ability – Burden Of Grief oozing every one in unlimited abundance.
Overall, a fast paced and aggressive thrash metal album, highly head bang-able and loaded to the hilt with ferocity and menace.
TRACKLIST
World Under Attack
A Daydream Of Sorrow
Exposed To The Dark
Downfall
Fevered Dreams
The Devil’s Bride
Mass Murder Society
Destination Dystopia
Fall Into Oblivion
Burden Of Grief: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Massacre Records
Category: Album
Country: Germany
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
