Total Death – ‘Ciudad Matadero’ Album Review

total death

This is the latest offering from the veteran Spanish thrash metal band.

The CD kicks off with the exciting ‘La Llamada’. The drumming and guitar riffs are very staccato, there are some good tempo changes and some real hammer down drumming and whammy bar guitar solo. A good start to proceedings indeed. Track 2, ‘Instincto Carnicero’ is a slower number, with a good chunky riff, with effective use of pinched harmonics and some gritty vocals. ‘Encendro Infernal’ has an atmospheric intro, with some effective riffing and whammy bar bits. The riff flows nicely and is well supported by energetic drumming and solid bass playing. The vocalist Cesar Sariano growls meaningfully throughout this track and the album. There’s a really good end section with some impressive soloing from the two guitarists Bora Metal and Gabo Escribano. A nifty bit of bass playing starts ‘Asfixia’ off. This track hurtles along at breakneck speed, with some manic drumming from Jose Gonzalez, obviously a big Metallica fan. Another catchy Jorge Vila bass line sets the tone for the moody ‘Alma En Pena’. This is a slow starter which soon quickens in pace and has some impressive fretwork, and well worked guitar harmonies. ‘La Resurreccion Del Mal’ has well-delivered vocals, giving a feel of anger and desperation. There’s another catchy riff in this track and more wild drumming. There’s a good variety to the riffs in this CD and plenty of exciting guitar solos, which could have been better mixed on some tracks!

‘Incenerador’ and ‘En La Oscuridad’ are both short, fast-paced slabs of metal. The drummer must have been tired after these tracks! As on all the tracks, I enjoyed the guitar riffs. ‘Mirame’ has a great start, with some crunchy riffs with some well performed tempo changes and the gutsy vocals and energetic drumming. The CD ends with the surprisingly laid-back ‘Requiem’. There’s some nice subtle guitar and bass playing here.

This is a really enjoyable thrash / heavy metal cd. It goes well with a bottle of Weston’s Vintage 8.2% cider. Cheers!

Review by Chris Greenwood.

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