As the band put it: "F.O.A.D is playing pure fucking Swedish thrash metal!" Well, yes and also with various vibes, adding varioous styles in their music. This release includes the band's 2016 EP carrying the same title, The first official demo 'Demo-Nical' from 2014, and "the first out of the womb in 2012" song 'Morbid Truth'.

These guys do not fuck around. This platter isn't a nice listen. Or of course it is, if you like it raw, dirty and old school. See, they came to be in 1986, but went into hibernation in the following year. 2012 saw them coming back. 25 fucking years. Then they recorded 'Morbid Truth'. Let's start with it, and make it in chronological order.

With rather rickety sound (probably a live take), 'Morbid Truth' is an old school thrasher. In many ways it reminds of some 1980s thrash releases. Influences that I sense come from Germany (e.g. Destruction, Hexenhaus) and USA (Slayer), meaning some evil-sounding riffing and fast shredding, tempo changes and sudden bursts (of a guitar solo etc.). The band's not in tightest of vibes, and the high-pitched vocals are more like stoner metal's; they have no bite, because they are too clean.

On 'Demo-Nical' songs get much tighter. From mad thrashing to more evil-sounding and slower output... And again, it's German and US feral thrash styles that have influenced the band. The vocals are yelling and dry-throated semi-growl, which is a clear improvement. The sound is way better, and very much harking back to 1980s. The drums are quite flat, though. Two of the songs were re-recorded for the EP.

The EP itself begins with church bells. The guitar tone is ripping, to say the least. Again sounding like it came from 1980s, it is a raw experience, with the drums left on the background. Surely, it's totally demo-level these days, or even worse. But F.O.A.D weren't looking for any kind of slick production anyway. This is supposed to be dirty, and is. The band isn't particularly fast, and it's more like heavy metal at times; there's no double kick drumming here! And on faster parts the drumming is rather sloppy. Music-wise, it the same German/US thrash, but there's primitive Venom touch in it, too. It's not all straight songwriting, but can be quite branching. 'Doomed Rebirth of Christ' sounds doomier here, than on the demo. The riffing is rabid and soloing is actually very melodic at times (just check out 'Chaos of Reign'). The vocals are best on the EP; more varying from screams to semi-growling, and hollering clean ones, with some gang vocals and female ones added for spice. The band manage to sound of themselves, which is quite a treat these days.

Lyrics-wise this has something to do with the Chernobyl nuclear accident; the original EP was reissued on the date of the accident as '30 Years of Radiation' edition. However, the lyrics aren't printed. Packed in a matte-coated digipak, it looks cool. This collects all F.O.A.D recording thus far, I presume. It's pretty nasty, ill-minded, but not too tight thrash metal with breath from 1980s; this certainly has nothing modern in it!

Rating: 6 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
12/22/2017 20:30