SUBHUMAN

They may be leading lights of the Italian underground thrash movement, but SUBHUMAN are just as steeped in death metal, ripping through these wicked tunes with the same murderous joy as, say, prime CARNAL FORGE or even TERROR 2000 at their most manic. This stuff is razorwire sharp, lean and mean without an ounce of wasted sound, and it's insanely catchy, from the galloping thrash parts to the tasty solos (check out the axework in "Trenta Denari" and marvel at the mid-song leadwork... sick!).

Of course, you're thinking "aren't we already up to our necks in this kind of shit?" And you'd be right. SUBHUMAN don't claim to be anything new or staggeringly innovative — their strength lies in delivering a by-now familiar sound with equal parts lethal precision, keen songwriting, and explosive energy. They cover a lot of ground when they're not madly flailing, too, throwing in some killer breakdowns and a sparing few brooding midtempo segments, making for a surprisingly diverse listen despite the overall neckbreak vibe. It's as if they picked up the mantle that THE HAUNTED carried for their first two records, determined to bring that kind of caffienated, intelligent, viscerally appealing death/thrash into a new decade. Whether that was the plan or not, they've succeeded mightily at it — "Profondo Rozzo" kicks all kinds of ass, and demands repeated loud listens.

Don't be scared off by the fact that the lyrics are in Italian. You "sing along" to shit like this phonetically at best anyway, right? And that trifling fact is no reason to let SUBHUMAN linger in obscurity — this is a fantastic band. They pretty much single-handedly steal the death/thrash crown from Scandinavia and defy any of the aging bands up there to venture south to reclaim it... and given the ferocity on display on "Profondo Rozzo", they might just wanna stay home and leave SUBHUMAN the reigning kings. Go get this!