December 2025 Feature Release - The Pit
A new month heralds a fresh feature release for the Pit and December sees my turn come around to select it. I have gone for an album that I myself sat on for the longest time and that is the 1986 sophomore from italian thrashers Bulldozer, "The Final Separation". As usual it woukd be fantastic if you could let us know your thoughts on it, either by commenting below or in a more extensive review.
https://metal.academy/releases/7947
While I've always kept up to date with most of the Bulldozer back-catalogue over the years, I have to admit that I've struggled to get into some of their more seminal records. Their first two full-lengths are a prime example of that as neither have ever done a lot for me. I do get a little bit more out of the thrashier "The Final Separation" than I do the speed metal of "The Day of Wrath" but I don't think I'll ever understand the underground appeal of either if I'm being honest. The claims that they're an early example of genuine black metal are misguided too in my opinion, despite with Fenriz may say. 3/5
While I've always kept up to date with most of the Bulldozer back-catalogue over the years, I have to admit that I've struggled to get into some of their more seminal records. Their first two full-lengths are a prime example of that as neither have ever done a lot for me. I do get a little bit more out of the thrashier "The Final Separation" than I do the speed metal of "The Day of Wrath" but I don't think I'll ever understand the underground appeal of either if I'm being honest. The claims that they're an early example of genuine black metal are misguided too in my opinion, despite with Fenriz may say. 3/5
I agree, Black Metal - No.
Italian speed metallers Bulldozer have never featured very highly in my listening within the realms of The Pit clan. Whilst I would not put their limited airplay down to any problem they present to me, at the same time, I cannot pretend to have ever been overwhelmingly entertained by any of the stuff I have listened to from them. The Final Separation doesn’t put a foot wrong as such, yet nor does it tread anywhere particularly new or even influential either. At times reminiscent of Venom (‘The Cave’) whilst on other occasion being just as close to Motörhead, the album lacks any of the rhythmic riffs that would steer it in the direction of thrash metal and as a result I would suggest the thrash metal tag is irrelevant for this album.
If you a connoisseur of eighties speed metal, then The Final Separation probably holds more sway for you than it does with me after over three decades of listening to metal; I left this sound behind a long while ago I feel. Whilst I am not alien to humour in my metal music, tracks like ‘Don Andras’ are just juvenile to my ears these days. Serving only to break up the otherwise very similar tempos of tracks to this point, this song has little value and stinks of filler.
With, ‘Never Relax’ at least offering some hope of variety for the second half of the album, I could have been forgiven for thinking I was being a little too harsh on the first few tracks. It is cumbersome though and feels pieced together as opposed to a free-flowing track. ‘Don’t Trust the Saint’ is the nearest to thrash metal we get to on the album, but it bounces more than it chops and my interest soon wanes. Final track ‘The Death of Gods’ grumbles some promise of an epic closure to the album, however this is soon lost in an overly grandiose soundscape that pushes my interest onto other things in the room.
3/5