Band:	The Troops Of Doom
Album:	A Mass To The Grotesque
Style:	Death metal, Thrash metal
Release date:	May 2024

01. Solve Et Coagula - Introduction
02. Chapels Of The Unholy
03. Dawn Of Mephisto
04. Denied Divinity
05. The Impostor King
06. Faithless Requiem
07. Psalm 78 - God Of Bizarre
08. Terror Inheritance
09. The Grotesque
10. Blood Upon The Throne
11. Venomous Creed

What more can be said other than this is The Troops Of Doom performing top quality old-school thrash/death?

This Brazilian death/thrash act was formed during the 2020 pandemic, and their line-up includes a group of talented seasoned musicians, most notably ex-Sepultura guitarist Jairo "Tormentor" Guedz, but also Alex Kafer (vocals/bass) and Marcelo Vasco (guitars) from Mysteriis, along with Alexandre Oliveira on drums. The band was spawned with the purpose of reviving classic 80s death and thrash, with a sound most obviously inspired by Sepultura, but also influenced by acts from the same era such as Slayer, Kreator, Possessed, and Celtic Frost. Their full-length debut Antichrist Reborn, released in 2022, channeled all the great acts I mentioned above, and in doing so turned out to be an instant fan favourite for old-school metalheads.

Now, 2 years later, the band return with their much anticipated sophomore release, A Mass To The Grotesque, an album that not only promises to continue the impressive form from their debut, but also to offer a trip even further down memory lane, delving ever deeper into that old-school organic lo-fi 80s production. The title of A Mass To The Grotesque acts as an ode to the ugly, evil, rejected, and feared, encompassing everyone who chooses to lurk in the shadows, finding shelter and comfort in the absence of light, rather than moulding into our so-called 'evolved' society.

A creepy, haunting synth-based intro titled "Solve Et Coagula" sets the mood flowing into the main opening track "Chapels Of The Unholy", where you're immediately hit smack bang in the face with the striking sound of the 80s death/thrash scene, specifically Morbid Angel and Sepultura. The guitar tone cuts through the mix with almighty force as you're bombarded with a relentless surge of heavy breakneck thrashy riffs and classic wailing leads, alongside an unrelentingly rapid rhythm section. This is only helped further by an aggressive old-school thrash vocal performance, and all these elements are authentically stripped back in true old-school fashion. After a flying start, the album pretty much continues in the same manner throughout its 50-minute runtime.

What this band manage to do really well is strike that perfect balance between death and thrash, throwing back to a time when the two genres were still as one. With this in mind, the band incorporate various legendary acts into their style. "Dawn of Mephisto", for instance, exhibits signs of peak Slayer, especially when there are moments that remind me of Seasons In The Abyss. However, it doesn't stop there; the main riff melody to "Denied Divinity" carries an obvious resemblance to early Kreator (Pleasure To Kill specifically). "Blood Upon The Throne" is a cocktail of styles containing all the groove of US death metal whilst incorporating the extreme ferocity of Bay Area thrash, demonstrating inspiration from Morbid Angel, Sepultura and Slayer once more. The ultra-frantic OSDM groovefest that is "The Impostor King" goes a step further, throwing you off guard by introducing Swedish-style buzz saw riffs as if inspired by Dismember or Entombed. The final track, "Venomous Creed", does however take a step back, allowing mid-tempo, low-toned, heavy slogging riffs to come into play at the beginning, very much in the vein of Autopsy.

Overall, I believe A Mass To The Grotesque exceeds the quality of the debut, despite the fact that the songwriting isn't intended to bring any originality to the table. Its sole purpose, however, is to call back to all the great death and thrash acts of the 80s, with a sound quality stripped bare and back to their roots; this is an ode to the traditional ways of metal before modernized production, before technical and complex songwriting, and before incorporating obscure styles other than thrash and death. It's simply structured, aggressive, heavy, groovy, and in your face from the get-go. Don't expect anything more or anything less from The Troops Of Doom; if you liked what you heard on the band's debut, then there's no reason you won't enjoy A Mass To The Grotesque.