Rating: 5.3

Country: USA

Release Date: 2007

Record Label: Open Grave Records

Track list:
1. Enslaved in Turmoil
2. Nuclear Manslaughter [mp3]
3. Unseen Death
4. Contamination
5. Slave to Conformity
6. Awaiting Demise
7. Infected [mp3]
8. Cycle of Despair
9. Redeemed by Confession
10. Personal Decimation

Total Playing Time: 18:36

Band Website: Atrocity (US)

Atrocity (US) - Contaminated

Rob Wedda - Vocals
Rich Flint - Bass
Scott Reynolds - Guitar
Jeff White - Drums

USA's Atrocity released an EP and two albums of their own brand of thrashy crossover between 1989 and 1992. This was a golden time for extreme metal and they never really stood a chance, especially when Germany's Atrocity were something really special back then - Hallucinations and Todessehnsucht towering above 1990's Infected and its sequel in every dimension.

Contaminated has been released as a taster prior to a very belated third album from Wedda, Flint, Reynolds and White. Allegedly the current release has alternative versions of the Infected songs. Exactly how alternative is anyone's guess as most people into this kind of thing were (quite rightly) listening to Terrorizer instead. All I remember is that I bought The Art of Death and returned it to the shop the same day...

Whilst the material is forgettable, Atrocity score points for getting the absolute most out of basic material and bland riffs. The drum performance is full of energy, passion and dextrous accuracy. The vocals are harsh thrash with a hint of death in the longer exhalations. Generally it is well produced with Germanic thrash overtones meeting the US crossover sound. "Nuclear Manslaughter" thrashes like early Sodom and the same can be said of "Redeemed by Confession", though in a far more Motorhead-inspired manner (with Lemmy bass sound too). Some of this stuff (mainly the catchy punky grooves) would not be out of place on Slayer's Undisputed Attitude covers album from 1996. One major negative is that virtually all the songs suffer the same fate of ending with short proto-Slayer solos with no backing guitar rhythm. This only serves to make everything sound the same.

"Unseen Death" and "Slave to Conformity" are the more dynamic tracks, having greater contrast between mid-paced and fast sections. The latter song reaches almost blasting speed after a modestly grandiose intro and the groove punctuated by shred spasms makes it the most contemporary sounding. However, this is still a far cry from modern grind/crust.

Good marketing by Open Grave (at a time when newer bands of this style are fighting their way into, rather than out of, a corner) makes Contaminated sound far better than it is. Whilst I confess to being mildly intrigued by the upcoming third album, my recommendation is just to put on World Downfall instead.

June 7th, 2007