TOTAL DEATH – The Pound of Flesh

An Italian thrash act with death nuances, Total Death are a four-piece that on their second full-length album "The Pound of Flesh" mince no words in their attack. Heads down speed and quick hitting transitions recall early Slayer meets 90’s era Exhorder and Forbidden – except the vocals of guitarist Paolo Azzimonti come from more of a raspy John Tardy vein, just in a clearer mold. Many of the chord combinations and riff links can be predictable, especially the opening segments of "No Last Bullet" and parts of "Four Walls- The Black Perfection" that possess a lot of Death/ "Pull the Plug" swaying or the tribal/ Sepultura-oriented "Haunted".

After five full passes through this 11 track, almost 46 minute record, there wasn’t much that set my ears on stun mode. Passable death/thrash can entertain every once in a great wall, but at this point in the genre’s development, we need bands that will grab your attention immediately and keep it song to song. Total Death at this point in time do not deliver on all fronts all the time – as such "The Pound of Flesh" is in the middle of a busy road of releases.

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www.punishment18records.com