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

Review by JD on May 15, 2013.

I thought that Quebec Technical Death Metallers Quo Vadis had a new album out and I was lucky enough to be reviewing it. Turns out I was really wrong on the band that I got. Instead of the French Canadian Technical Death Metallers that are one of the best at what they do, we have for my reviewing pleasure the Progressive Death/Thrash Quo Vadis from Poland.

Playing since 1986 seems that this band has been through the wringer as they slogged their way through the scene. Playing a maelstrom of Death/Thrash and Progressive metal, this polish four piece is a top notch outfit that knows what to do. Slashing guitars, brutal spat vocals and churning rhythms that seem to crack the very ground they walk on, Quo Vadis knows what works for them and uses it to their advantage.

The album was 48:29 of pure dynamic fury set in what sounded like quicksand. I did love songs like the driven guitars of 'Mia' and the explosive 'God', but found the sound on these tracks to be a bit muddy sounding in the places that it was not supposed to be. The other songs seemed to be afflicted by the same sound virus, creating an album that most songs sounded too alike – destroying what could be a monumental album that would rival many of the extreme metal releases out there right now.

I love Quebec’s Quo Vadis and always have, and this did not change that. Poland’s metallic sons did not impress me, and I hope that this is just a small glitch. I am going to search out the other releases from this band to listen to, and I hope that "Babel" was just and unfortunate horrendous bump in their road. I see boundless talent in the bands line-up, this album does not even try to show that in anyway.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 5.5
Production: 5
Originality: 5.5
Overall: 5.5

Rating: 5.9 out of 10

Review by JD on May 15, 2013.

I thought that Quebec Technical Death Metallers Quo Vadis had a new album out and I was lucky enough to be reviewing it. Turns out I was really wrong on the band that I got. Instead of the French Canadian Technical Death Metallers that are one of the best at what they do, we have for my reviewing pleasure the Progressive Death/Thrash Quo Vadis from Poland.

Playing since 1986 seems that this band has been through the wringer as they slogged their way through the scene. Playing a maelstrom of Death/Thrash and Progressive metal, this polish four piece is a top notch outfit that knows what to do. Slashing guitars, brutal spat vocals and churning rhythms that seem to crack the very ground they walk on, Quo Vadis knows what works for them and uses it to their advantage.

The album was 48:29 of pure dynamic fury set in what sounded like quicksand. I did love songs like the driven guitars of 'Mia' and the explosive 'God', but found the sound on these tracks to be a bit muddy sounding in the places that it was not supposed to be. The other songs seemed to be afflicted by the same sound virus, creating an album that most songs sounded too alike – destroying what could be a monumental album that would rival many of the extreme metal releases out there right now.

I love Quebec’s Quo Vadis and always have, and this did not change that. Poland’s metallic sons did not impress me, and I hope that this is just a small glitch. I am going to search out the other releases from this band to listen to, and I hope that "Babel" was just and unfortunate horrendous bump in their road. I see boundless talent in the bands line-up, this album does not even try to show that in anyway.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 5.5
Production: 5
Originality: 5.5
Overall: 5.5

Rating: 5.9 out of 10