Band:	Bio-Cancer
Album:	Tormenting The Innocent
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	February 23, 2015
A review by:	omne metallum

01. Obligated To Incest
02. Tormenting The Innocent
03. Bulletproof
04. Boxed Out
05. F(R)iends Or Fiends?
06. Think!
07. Chemical Castration
08. Haters Gonna ? Suffer!
09. Life Is Tough (So Am I)

Something must be in the water in Greece; the country is spawning thrash bands by the bucket full, which is overflowing with shredded guitar riffs. Bio-Cancer unleash their second album Tormenting The Innocent on a world that has a newfound appetite for all things thrash, and the band jump head first into the pit to offer up their take on the genre.

These Hellenic hellions believe the best kind of thrash is one that moves so fast it resembles a blur; if you are someone who is a strict adherent to speed limits then I would avoid this album, because the urge to match speed with speed is hard to call to heel. Able to punctuate the velocity at which the album races by, Bio-Cancer are able to forge an identity for themselves in the ever growing horde of bands trying to reignite the 80s heyday for the genre.

"Bulletproof" features some great guitar work by Andreou and Marinos on an unrelenting neck-shattering track. "F(r)iends Or Fiends" features some great bass work by Lagoutaris, who is given space to shine on the track as it ebbs and flows while keeping your interest throughout. "Chemical Castration" merges both these features with solid drum work by Solomonidis, creating probably the standout track on the Tormenting The Innocent.

Once again with a Greek thrash band, the main problem rests at the feet of the vocalist. Lefteris is a disciple of The Black Dahlia Murder's vocalist Trevor Strnad; whereas Strnad shows a level of variation in his vocal patterns while having a strongly identifiable sound with his characteristic growls, Lefteris has only one speed and it does get weary fast and far too close to the start rather than the end of the album. It is not a deal breaker by any means, but given the band are facing an uphill struggle to stand out musically, Lefteris does this aim few favours.

Meleteas' production is a double-edged sword on the album. While everything sounds crisp and audible in the cacophony the band create, they do at times fall into the eye of the tornado they create as they work themselves up into a frenzy, leaving themselves stuck behind Lefteris' vocals that circle the music. This leaves you often trying to listen around him as he takes centre stage, which isn't always possible. On occasion, it is the drums that seem to build up like a giant wave and threaten to drown out the rest of the band; it adds to the sense of urgency in the music but it does detract from it at the same time.

Bio-Cancer are a band that have a chance of popping up on many a radar in future years if they're able to build on Tormenting The Innocent and correct the weaknesses apparent on the album. For a stepping stone album, it's still solid and will pack one hell of a punch when it lands squarely in your face.