Review by Carl on March 23, 2021.

In the late 90's and early 00's, it looked like there was something of a gross-out war going on in grindcore/death metal circles. Bands like Mexico's Disgorge, Flesh Grinder and Rotting Flesh (both from Brazil) and Last Days of Humanity seemed to be doing their utmost best to come up with the most disgusting artwork, and they sure got tongues wagging. That was until Waco Jesus released their "The Destruction of Commercial Scum" debut and took home the award for most nauseating artwork. It is in this spirit that we find Oxidised Razor and their debut. This stuff will upset anyone into clean producing, technical musicianship and elaborate song writing, and you bet your granny's dentures that exactly that is why I love this album so much.

Musically you can situate this troupe of degenerates somewhere in between the usual suspects like the aforementioned Disgorge and Last Days of Humanity, but a less mechanical Mortician is also a point of reference. The guitars are tuned waaaaaay down into the ground and are drenched in distortion, almost to the point where it is hardly audible what is exactly being played. On top of that comes a guttural grunt that sounds like it was recorded while the vocalist was belching out his lyrics with his head stuck in a bucket. This bass-heavy concoction of a-musical rumblings is held together by the percussion. The drummer alternates between savage blastbeats, a sturdy thrash-like tempo and the occasional groovier beat, and is the instrument to follow to get a notion of the songs structures. Surprisingly, the production isn't that bad at all, the rough concoction of death metal and grind comes thundering out of the speakers, submerging the listener into a pit of bloody gore. There is no melody to be found on this whole album, only a powerful barrage of down-tuned, relentlessly hammering death/grind, and it's exactly that "fuck you" to musical niceties that I so love about this release. This is pure grinding raw power death metal.

However, there are some things that rub me the wrong way. There's quite a lot of movie samples here, kind of like Mortician has, and just as with the latter, they get somewhat tiresome towards the end. Another thing is the fact that this cd features no less than 4 cover songs (Gut, Mortician, Carcass and Impetigo), and I would've preferred some more original compositions in their place. Though it has to be said that those covers don't feel or sound out of place in the total picture, the band has really made them their own. And finally, those almost 10 minutes of silence before the hidden track starts playing are bullshit. I never appreciated that on other albums, and neither do I here.

Those things aside, this still is a great release for all who like their death/grind raw and sick. It's heavy, distorted and totally devoid of melody and subtle nuance, and I love it all the more for it.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by criscool623 on July 19, 2023.

I have no doubts to classify an album like this one as a masterpiece since it would be ridiculous to try to cover the sun with a finger.

Power metal is a genre that I enjoy a lot because of the variety and versatility that it can have, in addition to that I am especially a fan of melodic stuff, so that's why this is the perfect genre for me. Gloryhammer's red album (the way I like to call it because of the ridiculously long name it has) is not only a good album, but a MUST in terms of epic power metal.

From the first song (apart from the intro), this album is an uncontrolled discharge of epicity and grandiloquence. An injection of adrenaline and energy made music. The marching pace of "In Hoots We Trust" is just demolishing; its beginning easily tells you something BIG is arriving, not only lyrically, but musically. One of the best things of this album is the variety of dynamics in the songs; the breakdowns, the speed, the orchestral arrangements that enlarge how powerful the music is already, those moments when Evil Zargothrax gives his speeches (which, within the context of the album and getting into the lyrics more deeply, are really effective) the guitar and keyboard solos and the moments that each song offers and make them recognisable and memorable: "In Hoots We Trust"'s breakdown, "Masters of the Galaxy"'s chorus, "Gloryhammer"'s main riff, the tragic finale of "The Fires of Ancient Cosmic Destiny" (both the lyrics and the music that accompanies them), certainly the album has a lot of epic and unique moments for everybody. Do you want a classic power metal song which is fast and melodic? Go for "Power of the Laser Dragon Fire" or "Legendary Enchanted Jetpack". Seriously, musically, this album is endowed with top notch songwriting and ideas. Maybe "Battle for Eternity" can be considered the most "generic" or the least special song, but it doesn't stop being a good prelude for the great finale of the album.

Thomas Winkler's voice is easily one of the most recognisable ones nowadays in power metal, and from the beginning he's an uncontrolled beast that not only sings, but ROARS thanks to his raspy voice that doesn't stop being prodigious; seriously, the screams of this singer give goosebumps because of the savageness of his vocal range. His best vocal work so far. It truly is a shame that he's not a part of the band anymore since I really wanted to see him sing one of these songs live (maybe in a future, maybe not; one never knows) but this recording stays as a proof of his capabilities.

Ok, you may or may NOT like the lyrics of this album; you may get to think they are generic and typical power metal lyrics, or you can say this is a good story to follow while listening to the album. I didn't really pay attention to the lyrics the first times since I was more amazed by the music than by any other thing (and Winkler's voice, of course), but when I checked them out and paid more attention to them, I really liked the story they were telling you during the album; it's like if you were watching a movie, but through the ears (if that has any sense). However, one of the best moments of the album is the finale of the story [SPOILER ALERT], where the hero has to sacrifice himself after being stabbed by the enemy before dying; it's not only the moment, but the music that accompanies that moment and Winkler's voice telling you what the main character is about to do. This moment was close to make me cry thanks to how well constructed and thought it is. This may sound corny, but it's something I wanted to mention. [END OF SPOILERS] If you just let yourself go and enjoy the adventure, your experience may be more pleasant.

But even without the lyrics, the album is still marvelous, with more than competent musicians in the band, well recorded, well produced, rich in memorable moments, with no filler songs (aside from the penultimate one, and I'm not even sure whether it really is), one of the best singers nowadays and an instant classic that should be listened to by more people. Possibly the best album of 2019 (fighting strongly against Majestica's "Above the Sky") and the best album by Gloryhammer up to now. Highly recommended for power metal fans in general.

Rating: 10 out of 10