Trastorned – Into the Void (Dying Victims Productions)
Monday, 6th February 2023
Fifteen years from their start, Chilean quartet Trastorned finally unleash their debut full-length for Into the Void. Originally developing material in their native language for the first two demos, by 2014’s Witching Demo! the band switched to songs in English, without losing any of the aggressive, speedy/blackened thrash edge on the musical front. The eight tracks embrace a lot of latter 80’s Bay Area influences while keeping the arrangements lean, sharp, and militant, razor-edged vocals – where elements of Dark Angel, Sadus, early Mordred, and Forbidden come to mind.
Although speed is a primary element to the Trastorned gameplan, these musicians know when to slow down and inject superior, fluid musical passages with flair. The funky/progressive bass play acts as a third lead instrument in sections of “Miasma of Death”, while the twin guitar action rattles cages in this cyclone of riff fury. Eerie, distant screams conjure blackened textures during the title track, the maze-like circular chord progressions adding progressive dynamics to the pounding tempo at hand. Calmer strains come to mind for the 4:17 “Dreadful Fate – Interlude”, an instrumental that allows the listener to breathe a bit before the next passionate thrash assault roars out of your speakers. The powerful presence of quick hitting tempo shifts makes specific sections pit-worthy right out of the gate – the crossover switch during “Insanity” a classic example, thick stop/start action beyond arpeggio-laden tapping for a lead break that should keep heads swirling while bodies launch in unison as this airs triumphantly in live shows. If one criticism could be levelled, it would be on the scant runtime as this doesn’t hit the half-hour mark – the band is that good that another song or two would have been that much more satisfying long-term.
Proof that the Bay Area thrash scene had major impact beyond the early originators into the second/third generation of acts, Into the Void by Trastorned contains solid speed, crazy transitions, relentless attack while also developing supreme musically enticing parts.
