Avarice – Avarice (Uprising! Records)
Monday, 5th June 2023
With an original run under their belts as teenagers from 2006-08, Danish band Avarice returned in 2021 – delivering the Reborn in Blood EP that impressed the media as well as Uprising! Records who would sign these musicians to a label deal. The follow-up self-titled debut album is the payoff – a fusion of melodic death/thrash that has savage strength in its collective grasp of both genres. Combining riffs and tempos that obliterate while delivering key groove/hook sequences next to gruff screams or raspy, militant vocals ensures whirling activity for the ears, brain, and body to devour in full appeasement.
The sturdy drum duties Troels Lund-Sørensen provides when it comes to steady, slamming main tempos beyond his killer double kick/fluid fill sequences allow “Slaughter” and “Punished with Existence” to possess immediate standout principles in Sepultura meets Slayer-esque ways. The short title track opens the record with slow build atmosphere – the guitars churning in a circular, mystical pattern as vocalist Anders Sinding bellows the word ‘Avarice’ in measured deliberation before the subsequent “Between the Trenches” captivates as modern, haunting crossover thrash only can. Additional church bells plus distant screams give guitarists Jens H and Troels Rasmussen that heads down twin counterpoint riff development for “Blood Turns Black”, while calmer, clean measures during specific sequences of “Overflowing Coffins” showcases tactful, melodic aspects to their normal ripping techniques. Tightly driven songwriting will impact listener appreciation immensely – cutting off the excess dead weight to keep the main nine songs moving along on a four-minutes and change timeframe. It’s obvious that as much as these musicians love their 80’s/90’s-era death/thrash heroes, they’ve also paid attention to some of the modern stomp of say Power Trip to create massive pit-worthy parts to “Between the Trenches” or the supreme Emil Stephansen bass twist towards the end of “Consumed by Fire”.
Maybe the lengthy break pays big dividends to shape the Avarice sound as a fuller, punishing juggernaut for this debut record. Those into the surge of melodic thrash/death where groove/hook components occur in the right spots musically, this may be another newer act to check into.
