Review by Greg on July 8, 2023.

For a thrasher, the discovery of acts such as Space Eater is an experience comparable to a short glimpse of Heaven in everyday's Hell. Serbia isn't exactly the first place one thinks of examining, yet those big dudes managed to hit the proverbial jackpot with 2014's amazingly titled (and even more amazingly performed) Passing Through the Fire to Molech. For a modern thrash album, I'd even go as far as to say it was one of the most refreshing ones I happened to hear in the last years, given how it managed to combine melody, aggression, technicality and extreme influences with apparent ease. Once having arguably mastered their sound with it, the band possibly had to decide between trying something else, or seeing how further they could go with this lethal cocktail.

I have no doubt ideas were already in the works, but Space Eater would first go through some internal turmoil, resurfacing under the new, intriguing name of Quasarborn, and minus bassist Karlo Testen, who might have been more than partly responsible for it. A sad day for stereotypes, because now every member's surname ended with -ić.

If you're wondering, yes, Quasarborn chose the latter option, possibly nosediving into it. The obvious 1984 reference in the album name is accompanied by titles inspired by Brave New World and The Count of Monte Cristo, the band (rightfully) not willing to delve in their 'past' glory for too much, and aiming for even more ambitious songs. Now, all the members are also excellent instrumentalists, and I adore how they consistently avoid those trite, well-known riffs cyclically reappearing on mediocre albums, but I just want to get one thing out of the way: drummer Marko Danilović, to me, is the star of the show. The Odyssey to Room 101 displays a monstruous performance by the man, from the subtler crash hits to the frequent, destructive blasts, reaffirming once more what a band can achieve if the drumming actually raises the collective level.

The vocal work of frontman Luka Matković keeps revolving around the same styles heard on Space Eater, so, if you're unfamiliar with them: Hetfield-like gritty lower register, some occasional, competent growls, and slightly metalcore-ish half-sung stuff, possibly now more than ever. Sometimes he still sounds like he's straining in attempt to reach notes that he probably can't (the title-track suffers a bit from that). Apart from that, he's a very versatile and peculiar vocalist that fits like a glove on top of this eccentric sound. Matković also showcased some talent in production as well, but Quasarborn's debut, while immaculate, represents a tiny step back from the perfect, bass-heavy balance found on Space Eater's swansong.

Right after the fairly standard ode-to-thrash opener 'Crash Course in Life', which still takes a depressing lyrical turn in the middle, and, well, a pretty pointless ambient interlude, Quasarborn immediately step up their game with 'The Underdog League', the longest track, with a perfect bridge and an amazing, labyrinthine instrumental section in the middle, and 'A (Suicide) Letter to Humanity' follows suit, perhaps taking things just a step too far (i.e. the flat-out blackened section around 4:20). Funnily enough, it has got the kind of thought-provoking, socially charged lyrics Havok's Dave Sanchez wishes he could write (...stop waiting for World War Three, you're already fighting it...).

Trust me, though, the best is yet to come. Just the slightly uninspired title-track and closer brings down a bit an otherwise nigh perfect second half, be it the absolutely bat-shit insane 'Escape from Reality' or 'No Mustapha Mond' that just floor you with a storm of riffs and a barrage of overwhelming drums, or 'Château d'If' which incorporates the death influence more tastefully (and one can forgive the lick taken straight from '...and Justice for All'), or the flat-out brilliant 'Danse Macabre'. Even the instrumental 'Transcendence' is sweet, providing the renowned icing on the cake. Summing up: don't waste ulterior time and give the whole thing a listen.

The Odyssey to Room 101 is probably a bit too hit and miss to be a bona fide classic, but it's another inspired release by these young lads. The best aspect? Things could get even better with just a bit of refinement and some slight adjustments...

...oh, they didn't? Now that's a pill hard to swallow.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10