Band:	Obnoxious
Album:	Lab #01
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	2009

01. My Scorn
02. December Transition
03. Everlasting End
04. One Glance One Kill
05. Mydriasis
06. Last Generation
07. Unstable
08. Carcass Pit
09. # 01
10. Postmortem Reprisal
11. Filthy Secrets

Obnoxious, a new up-and-coming name in the French scene? I'm inclined to think so, so let's visit this Lab #01...

They claim to play some "brutal thrash death metal", and cite as influences bands like At The Gates, The Haunted, Slayer, or Pig Destroyer. Well, all this give a quite accurate description of the music they play. Insane guitar parts? Check. Melodic leads and harsh rythmics? Check. Numerous breakdowns and rhythm changes? Yep. Blast beats? They're here too.
At this point of the review, you might as well be thinking that this album is some sort of brutal mess without head or tail. Well, it isn't. As their idols, Obnoxious not only play some really technical stuff, they also know how to write actual songs. Now, I can't help but quote Thryce on his review of Obnoxious' first EP, as he describes it way better than me: "Obnoxious are clearly paying a lot of attention to the various and by times complex arrangements in their sound, to the carefully structured rhythms, and to the particular atmosphere they're creating in this way." And this is true again on this album, which is never boring as each song is different, well written and interesting in its own right. No fillers on this album!

No need to comment on the musicianship, it's as tight as you might expect from a band like this. From bass, to drums, to guitars, to the varied vocals (one really good main vocalist, with two backers to add some more punch), I can't hear anything wrong, faulty or flawed here. The same can be said about the production, as it's clean and very powerful but not too much or over the top; everythinh can be heard through the mix. Perfectly fitting.

So? Catchy and aggressive, with melody and technicality to boot, it is indeed a nice listen. It sure isn't completely original, but it's good, very well done, catchy, and full of conviction and personality. It would be a shame, really, to miss this good Lab #01?