Band:	Criminal
Album:	Sicario
Style:	Death metal, Thrash metal
Release date:	September 05, 2005
Guest review by:	Cynic Metalhead

01. Rise And Fall
02. Time Bomb
03. Walking Dead
04. The Root Of All Evil
05. Shot In The Face
06. Sicario
07. The Land God Forgot
08. Preacher Of Hate
09. Touch Of Filth
10. From The Ashes
11. Por La Fuerza De La Razón
12. Self Destruction

If we talk about Chilean thrash metal bands, you can't certainly miss mentioning Criminal in the same vein as Pentagram Chile, Ripper, Coprofago, or Critical Defiance. For the uninitiated, Criminal was founded by Pentagram Chile vocalist/guitarist Anton Reisenegger in 1991, and the band sounds like a concoction of The Crown mixed with a modern version of Exodus or Pantera.

Criminal set a strong precedent with the release of their debut album Victimized in 1994, delivering a powerful package filled with killer riffs, melodic bass, and death metal vocals coming from a country that hardly anyone could have expected. Sicario features similar offerings.

Sicario features a range of moments that define the epitome of what Criminal aims to offer; it delivers fast, intensive shred-attack headbangers like "Rise And Fall" and "Por La Fuerza De La Razón", along with tracks seeking to keep death metal at bay by serving up pure blistering thrash anthems, such as "Time Bomb", "Touch Of Filth", and "Shot In The Face". In contrast, '"The Land God Forgot" contains only death metal elements at a terrific pace. You will witness slow-burners in "Sicario" and "The Root Of All Evil" exhibiting progressive elements, along with a strong sense of melody and memorability. The production sounds slicker, with bass audibly thumping loud and thick; different drum patterns are encountered, as double bass kicking is mixed with other types of heavy beat, enunciating the perfect quality and sound that encapsulates the essence of Sicario.

The only clear flaw is the struggle to maintain memorability across the album; the pattern of the songs becomes repetitive, leading to reduced overall replay value in favor of sticking to the awe-inspiring moments. This album also falls short compared to their debut, which boldly explored the interplay between thrash and death metal. Instead, Sicario rehashes earlier material, sticking to a familiar style that caters to fans but misses the opportunity to innovate and surprise.

Fans of Exodus, The Crown, late Carnal Forge, or perhaps late Pantera will find themselves to be acquainted with this album.

Highlights: "Rise And Fall", "Por La Fuerza De La Razón", "Time Bomb", and "Touch Of Filth"