FRIGHTFUL – What Lies Ahead

A relatively young band in some respects, Frightful came into being in 2016 in Gdansk and have released a couple of demos and EPs since then, but the thing is that they churn out skull-rattling and tightly executed death metal as if they were veterans of the genre. Such is the terrifying amount of delightfully arrogant confidence that oozes from every pore of this incredibly well-played and highly intriguing metal grenade. Not only is the production state of the art but also brimming with life and vigor, which makes this a feast for the ears, and the eight thrash-inspired tracks that form this irresistible juggernaut are dripping with venom and malice. Vocals and riffs merge to stunning effect and the relentlessly aggressive and robust rhythm section delivers blow after blow to the abdomen. Take something like “No Fear” and revel in how catchy and brilliantly crafted it is with not one second of it being wasted; there is not an ounce of fat anywhere in sight. And why does it feel as if it does not stick to a tried-and-tested death/thrash metal formula even though it is not decidedly innovative from a purely musical perspective? In case you were wondering, it is all positive and awesome. I fucking love this pummeling bad boy, and there is not a single duff tune on the disc, which means that it is a monster and an insane (and insanely great) debut full-length assault.