Ratos De Porão - Anarkophobia review
| Band: | Ratos De Porão |
| Album: | Anarkophobia |
| Style: | Hardcore, Thrash metal |
| Release date: | 1991 |
| Guest review by: | Cynic Metalhead |
01. Contando Os Mortos
02. Morte Ao Rei
03. Sofrer
04. Ascensão E Queda
05. Mad Society
06. Ódio 3
07. Anarkophobia
08. Igreja Universal
09. Commando [Ramones cover]
10. Escravo Da TV
11. Jardim Elétrico [bonus]
[English version]:
01. Counting The Dead
02. Death Of the King
03. Born To Suffer
04. Rise And Fall
05. Mad Society
06. (All I Need Is) Hatred
07. Anarkophobia
08. Universal Church
09. Commando [Ramones cover]
10. TV Slave
There was this Brazilian hardcore punk unit you may not be aware of that was founded in the same period as Metallica, Exodus, Megadeth, and Testament, and which churned out four brilliant albums before altering the direction. Want to know the name? It's Ratos De Porão. Lost in the oblivion of great thrash albums of the 80s and 90s, from the land of Sao Paulo (Brazil), Ratos De Porão released a paramount crossover thrash metal album titled Anarkophobia in 1990. It stands as a testament to blending hardcore punk with thrash metal, capturing a raw frantic energy epitomizing the sound of Ratos De Porão.
Anarkophobia came as a significant departure from the band’s earlier work, which leaned heavily into hardcore punk, instead creating a hybrid of crossover thrash metal. My fellow comrades, this album is a pure relentless assault: the guitars are sharp and aggressive, exporting riffs concocting thrash fury, while the rhythmic section fuses punk intensity with chaos.
I'd delve into the highlights of the album here, starting with the title track, "Anarkophobia", lyrically bulldozing along the lines of autocracy and fear of anarchy, and crushing the wavelength with riffs and bass. Added to that, the cover of Ramones' "Commando" is brilliantly pulled off here and covers similar issues. Nonetheless, tracks like "Aids, Pop, Repressão" and "Amazonia Never More" surge on political commentary, addressing global issues like the AIDS epidemic, media control, and environmental destruction in the midst of Brazilian turmoil.
The production, raw yet clear, allows every instrument to cut through with precision restraining the chaos. I did find Anarkophobia to be cut from the same cloth of Sepultura's Arise, but more bound to crossover thrash. When it comes to ideal integration of punk and metal brutality, Ratos De Porão's Anarkophobia can't be a bad recommendation. Not a classical release, but it’s certainly a record not worth missing out on.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written by Cynic Metalhead | 02.09.2024
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments: 6
Visited by: 17 users
| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3213  |
Woah really surprised to see Ratos being reviewed here. These guys are so little known and underrated. Really dig their sound.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
Loading...
|
| AndyMetalFreak A Nice Guy Contributor Posts: 5187  |
I've never heard of this band before, which is unsurprising, but I'm really digging what I've heard here. This is some aggressively raw and classic hardcore crossover thrash, thanks for bringing them to my attention 
Loading...
|
| Cynic Metalhead Ambrish Saxena Posts: 7395  |
Written by AndyMetalFreak on 04.09.2024 at 14:29 It was washed under Sepultura's aura, but turns out it has own unique elements - which I covered fairly in my review. Much more than that, Ratos surprises me with how significantly attractive is this album and the more you going to dig in, the more it pulls you in. Oh hey! That's just me. I might get big boner of anything tosses from classic thrash era, that's not just about it, but what I do find alluring is the magnificent sound of thrash with crossover to speed and heavy metal. Glad you liked it, Andy.
Loading...
|
| A Real Mönkey Posts: 1108  |
It’s a fine album but Crucificados Pelo Sistema is THE album from this band.
---- "Change the world. My final message. Goodbye." ~Last words of Harambe, seconds before he was shot, according to child he shielded from gunfire
Loading...
|
| Redel Moderator Posts: 2210  |
Written by A Real Mönkey on 04.09.2024 at 18:01 Brasil is THE album from this band. 
Loading...
|
| Karlabos Meat and Potatos Posts: 5690  |
Written by Guib on 03.09.2024 at 00:49 In Brazil they are really well known, lel. Even in mainstream media. Mostly because the frontman is an ass.
---- "Aah! The cat turned into a cat!" - Reimu Hakurei
Loading...
|
Hits total: 286 | This month: 286