'Scourge' is the final record from this now defunct British thrash metal band. I found this last this summer, about six years after its release. How fast does time actually fly?!

After 'Kin' (1992), which happens to be my favourite Xentrix recording, Chris Astley left the band. New voice of the band was Simon Gordon and second guitarist was taken by Andy Rudd. At first, 'Scourge' sounds more simplistic as the previous works from Xentrix. However, more careful and repeated listenings unfold partly rather complex songs. Glad for noticing that, because it felt too one dimensional and unvarying at first. Some riffs are too "American" for their own good, I mean closer to new stuff, like Machine Head and Metallica. The sound is heavy and very organic; I just love that pounding bass, which does its best to squeeze your guts. Some of the songs (e.g. the opener) are a tad too long and there's some uninteresting parts during 52 minutes. 'The Hand That Feeds Itself' has the king melody of this album, easily! Marvellous it is, but sadly this kind of stuff is hardly to be found on any other track. 'Strength of Persuasion' sounds like older Xentrix, but yeah, that's not a lot in album's length. The drumming must be mentioned, because of some inventive (maybe a too strong word) rhythms, like Dennis Gasser is known to do. Solos are good through the record, and these guitar parts, so to say (no vocals, heh).

The vocals remind me of Machine Head's Rob Flynn. Mr. Gordon has higher, less heavy and kinda snarly voice. He throws some Halford style heavy metal vocals in there, too. At first he sounded very annoying, but he gets better on later songs. And my ears start to, if not warm, but accept his voice. He's beginning to sound even a bit individualistic... When he sings more cleanly, he is bloody good, but sadly it doesn't happen but a few times. Still, that rap part on the title track should have been left out for good. "American" stuff strikes again... The lyrics are from real world. Some like it, I wanna skip them. There's too much crap on news anyway.

Not too far from those two Blaze album, mind you. And some more American parts sound a bit like Virus 7, but not that bad. Or Destruction's repulsed (by the band themselves) 1998 album 'The Least Successful Human Cannonball' (which actually packs more energy than this Xentrix platter). This does not astonish but only a few times. This feels of disappointment, but if I've listened to 'Kin' for last 10 years a couple times a year at least, these two aren't on same line, are they?! After 10 or so listenings, 'Scourge' began to unfold and total disappointment began to fade. Let's see how this sounds after ten years...

Rating: 6- (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
12/20/2002 12:10