Tracks
1. Order from chaos
2. Resitance is futile
3. The ghost we summoned
4. Akellare
5. State of siege
6. Tyrannicide
7. Feel the void
8. The power of the dog
9. Vows of silence
10. La Santa Muerte

Band:
Anton Reisenegger – guitar, vocals Olmo Cascallar – guitar
Zac O’Neil – drums
Dan Biggin – bass

Diskography:
Victimized (1994)
Dead Soul (1997)
Cancer (2000)
No Gods No Masters (2004)
Sicario (2005)
White Hell (2009)

Info
Produced, mixed and mastered by Dan Biggin at HVR Studios, Colchester, UK

Released 19/8-2011
Reviewed 17/8-2011

Links:
criminal1.com
myspace
youtube
massacre

Seventh studio album by Criminal, a band that was not particularly well received by Hallowed’s reviewer last time out. That album was called White Hell and was quite negatively received by the Hallowed writer at the time. Now a short while later it is time for the band again and this time they have called the album Akellare and given it a somewhat eye catching cover artwork. The word Akellare can either mean a 128-bit block cipher which was devised in 1996 and it would seem as though it never was the right thing, or a ritual gathering of witches or a sabbath. I would think that the latter is the more likely scenario. This album is also said to be a bit more back to the basics but still with this catchy and slightly melodic sound. It says a lot about the band in the promo information, like the bands with which the band has been touring or playing with whatever use that is, having played with all of the big four thrash bands might be cool but who says it hasn’t happened on festivals and then it isn’t that cool and more coincidental. Criminally underrated is the final words in the promo information.

Their music cannot be described to be criminally insane though, rather quite heavy thrash metal with the classic chugging riffs and catchy melodies giving the album a rather groovy thrash metal sound. The singer is on the aggressive side singing in a gruff voice all through the album and the album can musically be described to be quite coherent all the way through it. And speaking of all the way through, to play all the way through you need to hear ten tracks and spend forty one and a half minute listening to it. I would say that if you compare this album to the one we reviewed some years ago, White Hell I would say it sounds pretty similar in style, maybe this album is slightly more uniform than White Hell was but I would say that there is not much difference between these albums.

The album cover looks better for this album and I would also say that overall is this album somewhat better than its predecessor which is the only other album I have heard by this Chilean band that is not really that Chilean anymore considering that their new members are from other nations like Great Britain or Spain. Considering however, what we thought about that album it may not really mean anything. I think they show that they know what they are doing with this album, their experience is paying dividends for the band. Their way of music however, is not my way of music so to speak.

For me their style of music is too conformed to their style, no real variation. They do make okay music but the album just lacks any kind of variation, the songs are too similar and I find myself only half listening, there is nothing grabbing me and making me really want to hear which leads to the music being just some background noise all the time. So in the end I would say that Akellare is a barely okay album that I can recommend for fans of the band and fans of very heavy, groovy thrash metal. I would not say that they are criminally underrated though.

HHHHHHH 

Label: Massacre Records
Tre liknande band:Chimaira/Lamb of God/The Dying
Rating: HHHHHHH (3/7)
Recensent: Daniel Källmalm