Review by Carl on September 1, 2024.

I love these kinds of compilations that collect all the early material of a band. It's a great way to get one's greasy paws on all earlier output in one go, and as an added plus, we can hear the band evolve as a unit, and that last thing is certainly true for this bunch of ruffians.

I don't think I'm going out on a limb here when I say that these guys sure do love their early Kreator. The riffs have that manic chainsaw energy to them, revving up the songs like mad, only to be broken up by fast leads that simply rip and tear while aiming for the jugular. Underpinned by an energetic drum performance, the tracks plow on relentlessly, only seldom taking the foot off the throttle to let some slower parts seep in. Slower parts that only seem to serve as a build-up for the next blast of ferocious thrashing velocity, just like the old Kreator did on their first albums. That the vocals bring to mind the nasty growling bark of a young Mille Petrozza is only logical, of course. This is high-octane thrashing fury, sounding as authentic production-wise as you'd expect from a band with such a modus operandi like these guys.

As mentioned above, the material presented here comes at us in chronological order, something I find utterly fascinating to say the least. The first 3 cuts are from their first demo, presenting the listener with their fast thrashing metal, worshipping at the altar of "Endless Pain". It's a true debut effort, for sure. We already get hit with the abrasive cocktail of Kreator-isms I described earlier, but the execution isn't always on point, with some of the details being somewhat rough around the edges. A minor problem the band solved on their following releases, becoming tighter and more focused, while still maintaining the manic intensity of their debut, even upping the speed. Where their demo took its inspiration mostly from Kreator's debut and some "Pleasure to Kill" spliced into the mix, the following material sees Mayhemic exploring the territory between "Pleasure..." and "Terrible Certainty". The material is still fast as balls, but there is more variation injected through the use of slower sections throughout, without sacrificing one iota of intensity. It's an evolution that culminates on track 10, where slight influences from the early works of Death, Pestilence, and Sadus come creeping through the rabid and aggressive thrash of this foursome. Those proceedings coming to an end with a Kreator cover isn't all that surprising, but points for choosing a less obvious one in the form of "Dying Victims". Also less obvious is the choice of "Tormentor" by the eponymous Hungarian band, which is executed with the same precision and enthusiasm as all that came before.

It is on their first full-length "Toba" that the evolution shown on this compilation really reaches its high point. While still being true to their influencing forces, the band has taken a couple of giant leaps forward in execution, composition, and song writing, even establishing a sound of their own. What we hear on this collection isn't to be sniffed at, but Mayhemic's full length is going to be quite the hurdle for their compatriots to take, it's just that good. Which makes it all the more interesting to hear on this compilation where the band came from. It has great music and even somewhat of a story to tell, and don't try to convince me that that isn't something absolutely fascinating to behold.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10