Harlott is a thrash metal band from Australia formed in 2006 releasing their debut album ‘Origin’ in 2013. ‘Proliferation’ followed in 2015 with the band’s third album ‘Extinction’ released in 2017.
Savage, brutal and aggressive is the only words I can find to describe the brand of thrash metal that Harlott produces. Heavy hitting, Harlott bulldoze the airwaves as the new album opens with the ferocious title song ‘Extinction’. Sounding like the offspring from a Slayer/Testament encounter, Harlott delivers breathtaking and astoundingly quick thrash metal. Warm-up those neck muscles guys and girls, this is gonna be wild… Amazingly, the pace increases as ‘First World Solutions’ roars in and rockets off at a blinding speed that almost belies the laws of physics. How does Harlott manage such a blistering pace with absolute accuracy? Because they’re so fucking good at what they do, that’s how! Skull crushingly savage, ‘Penitent’ is a thrash metal tornado that will leave the only destruction in its wake. I am quickly running out of superlatives to describe how brutally brilliant this album is… ‘Whore’ is terrifyingly quick, so quick your head will be just a blur as it nods back and forth at a ridiculously high velocity. You may wanna reserve a place at A & E now, for when this album is over, a neck brace may well be required.
Holy fuck, how fast can this band play? Very is the only answer…‘No Past’ thunders along with faster than a jet fighter off to war. Earlier this year the Canadian thrash metal band Terrifier released a superb album of fast-paced and thunderous thrash, setting new standards for speed and velocity…Harlott has just eclipsed everything they achieved and are setting even higher standards. The pace of this album is relentless with no space to breathe. ‘Conflict Revelation’ is a blistering rage of rampantness that will leave you breathless and gasping for air as your neck muscles are put through a ferocious workout as you headbang like it’s going out of fashion. Twelve songs across fifty minutes is some going, with every song just as quick, if not quicker than its predecessor. ‘Better Off Dead’ is where you may wish you were after this album finishes as the neck pain you may be suffering might just prove to be too much to handle. ‘Better Off Dead’ is a pummeling and punishing parade of top-notch thrash metal. Throughout the entire album, the vocal delivery is top drawer stuff, with its aggressive nature and throaty rasp. I am truly stunned by the torrent of thrash that is currently flooding out of the speakers, this is brilliant stuff.
How much quicker can Harlott get? The one minute and forty seconds long ‘Violent Conspirator’ is proof that a band can play at lightning speed with a very good chance of breaking the sound barrier. Holy shit, what a cracking song. At over seven minutes in length, ‘And Darkness Brings The Light’ is by far and away from the longest song on the album and for once, the blistering pace has subsided, only to be replaced by a much heavier brand of thrash. The brutal riffing of ‘And Darkness Brings The Light’ stabs viciously, as the guitars scream and screech on their way. With more time changes than the Back To The Future trilogy, ‘And Darkness Brings The Light’ is a relentless barrage of savagery. With an upturn in the pace, intensity and energy levels, the high velocity ‘Final Weapon’ is a raging hurricane. Savagery has found a new level, as the aggressive and in your face attitude of ‘Final Weapon’ propels it along at breakneck speed. With the album hurtling towards the end, there is still time for more, much more of the blistering, high-speed thrash that Harlott deliver.
‘Parasite’ rattles and rumbles incessantly as it flies by, a blink and you’ll miss it kind of experience. There is an old saying “all good things come to an end” and this album does come to an end, but not without one last furious flurry. ‘Epitaph’ is a very heavy thrash metal assault that rockets past in a flash. Savage and brutal, this final barrage, rounds of a great album, an album that will compete for the title of (2017) Album Of The Year.
Overall, a superb and brilliant album of fast-paced thrash, with every song played at breakneck speed with amazing accuracy and precision.
TRACKLIST
Extinction
First World Solutions
The Penitent
Whore
No Past
Conflict Revelation
Better Off Dead
Violent Conspirator
And Darkness Brings The Light
Final Weapon
Parasite
Epitaph
Harlott: Facebook
Release Year: 2017
Label: Metal Blade
Category: Album
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, Metal Gods TV, and Metal-Roos.
