Idle Ruin is a blackened death/thrash metal band from Australia formed in 2020, releasing their debut E.P. ‘Idle Ruin’ later the same year. During 2022 the band released three new singles and a split E.P. ‘Malefactors’ with German thrashers Boundless Chaos. And now, in 2023, Idle Ruin released their debut full-length album, ‘The Fell Tyrant’…
…featuring nine songs across a ferocious forty minutes! The band, formed by drummer and lead vocalist Liam Anthony (Malakyte, Decapitated Mum, Spektre) in an aggressive mood, hurtling through all nine songs on offer at electrifying speed – ‘Shackled For Adornment’ setting off incendiary devices left, right, and fucking centre at it launches the album in an explosive frenzy! The level of ferocity is colossal, the speed incredible, and the band a force of nature that can’t be tamed! Idle Ruin is in a devastating mood, the album moving on with a furious, fiery, and fierce attitude, courtesy of ‘Delta Hexatoxin’ – a full-on, fast-paced and in your face, aggression loaded slice of thunder, fire and brimstone. What an absolutely stunning opening brace! I have a feeling Idle Ruin is gonna remain at high velocity for the entire album – which is fucking great news for the headbangers of the world! Totally insane, dudes! ‘Sycophant’ maintains the raging onslaught, hammering the senses – no, bludgeoning the senses with a barrage of brutality that’s gonna land many listeners in hospital with severe cuts, bruises and a throbbing concussion! And a great big fucking smile on their faces when the concussion wears off, and they realise just who hospitalised them – Idle “fucking” Ruin. Good times! Very good times!
The howls and scowls of lead singer Liam Anthony are death defying, the guttural screams stomach churning, yet they fit so perfectly with the band’s chosen direction of metal! A direction that just gets quicker with the blinding speed of ‘Orbitoclast’ – a raucous and chaotic romp of black, death, and thrash metal. The band rolled these styles into one to deliver a ground shuddering aural avalanche of total destruction. Simply breathtaking! All of the band’s releases so far – four singles and one E.
P. – have all displayed black and white artwork. But with ‘The Fell Tyrant’ (the album), the band have gone for colour – and lots of it! I’m not sure where I’m going with this now, I did have a thought in mind, but it’s disappeared! And I can’t remember – damn old age! It’s no fun getting old, I can tell ya – but when bands like Idle Ruin are pumping out high-velocity thrash melded with death, there is still some fun left to be had!
The album stormed on with the title song ‘The Fell Tyrant’, dropping a gear to become an aggressive stomp of thrash complimented with growling, snarling, venomous vocals. And fuck me! The band have gone supersonic – ‘Cult Of Dominion’ demonstrating a faster pace than everything heard so far. That is until the crushing mid-song breakdown – a superb stomp of pure thrash that will snap bones and smash skulls!
And still, with no break for a breather, the album roars on with the blistering ‘Among The Pilliga’, maintaining the extremely high aggression level. And the ferocity, too – don’t forget the ferocity! In just over two years, the band has gained a reputation for fiery aggression, immense ferocity, and a no holds barred attitude towards delivering high-speed thrash come death metal. Simply amazing! And with a slow and heavy doom-laden feel, ‘Diabolical Severance’ creeps into life on the crest of menace – exploding with an incredible burst of energy to become a rocket-powered rampage of rip-roaring speed! The band are merciless in their approach to their craft, drowning listeners, fans and followers in a tsunami of thrash! And now for the album’s finale – and the introduction of acoustic guitars! ‘Ekul 316’ gliding into life on a wave of serenity, switching to all-out thrash come death metal and frantically banging the heads of metalheads and moshers for one last time. What a sensational and breathtaking firestorm ‘The Fell Tyrant’ (the album) has been.
Overall, an aggression fuelled and menacing album of electrifying speed and unbroken ferocity.
TRACKLIST
Shackled For Adornment
Delta Hexatoxin
Sycophant
Orbitoclast
The Fell Tyrant
Cult Of Dominion
Among The Pilliga
Diabolical Severance
Ekul 316
Idle Ruin: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Bitter Loss Records
Category: Album
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
