Norwegian thrashers Audiopain aren't exactly newcomers on the metal scene, (they in fact formed back in 1998) but North American audiences might not be that familiar with them. So what better way to get acquainted than by spending some quality time banging your head along to their second full length album The Switch To Turn Off Mankind, the follow up to 2004's The Traumatizer. Lets be honest, after one listen to this raucous slab of pure metal, it's pretty clear that Audiopain are not out re-write or redefine the genre of thrash metal, but with songs this tight they don't have to. This super charged trio, consisting of guitarist / vocalist Sverre Daehli, bassist Petter Bernsten and drummer Bjarne Guntveit, serve up a plentiful dose of old school thrash with a distinctly modern approach, on this short but sweet offering (six songs totaling just under twenty seven minutes). Daehli's cookie cutter vocals and razor sharp guitar work is what fuels the bands aggression as they rip through these tracks with an alarming sense of urgency. One could make the case that waiting three years for less than half an hour of music might not justify the wait. However in their defense they have issued a handful of split releases in between full length albums, so they've actually been pretty busy. Besides it's not about quantity, it's the quality and as far as quality goes, Audiopain certainly deliver the goods here.
Apparently the limited edition of The Switch To Turn Off Mankind comes with… chicken bones! What the f**k? Mine only came with a booklet. Four stars nonetheless.
Track Listing
1) Hellbound
2) The Switch To Turn Off Mankind
3) Holy Toxic
4) Termination Fields
5) Alliance
6) Cobra Dance
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