Necrodeath - Ton(e)s of Hate (2003)^{Release ID: 9821}

It's my understanding that Necrodeath released a couple of decent thrash metal albums in the late 80s, but the awful ratings that are generally attributed to Ton(e)s of Hate made me feel pretty uncomfortable about having to pick it for the latest Horde Review Draft. It didn't take long for me to understand why its been so consistently criticised over the years. While the death and thrash genre tags are accurate, it's fairly clear that the band were attempting to make an accessible and occasionally pop-inspired release. What they completely forgot to do in the process was include great riffs, or any riffs really. While it's not unusual for bass players to simply accompany the guitar riffs in this style of music, I think it's pretty rare that the base completely overpowers the guitars in the mix. I find myself knowing what the riffs probably are at any given moment, but all I can really hear is the bass. It causes the whole experience to lack power and impact, particularly during the thrashier sections where the riffs should be front and centre. Even ignoring any production issues, the songwriting just isn't that great, with some of the more memorable sections only being so because they're repetitive and annoying. Queen of Desire is probably the only track that I really enjoy the whole way through, with no silly repetitious vocal line or grating cymbal / cowbell combo. These Italians have 13 full length releases, but I can't say that Ton(e) of Hate has made me want to go and check any of the others out.