NO RETURN - Self Mutilation
April 26, 2001, 23 years ago
(Listenable)
No Return are a twelve year metal institution from France who, now onto their fifth album, play expert old school thrash through a searing hi fidelity mix glossed with a sheen of techno samples and other high frequency blips and ticks. But this is just for incidental top shelf texture, and it's only occasional, the real brunt of this fast shocker being a cogent mix of old Testament, Slayer, Dark Angel and Exodus with the urgent heart palpitations of Soilwork, God Dethroned, Darkane and Witchery. It's all business really, thrashy but not trashy, thrash vocalled a l'il over to death, exacting riffs and even more precise and treble-barbed drumming, a moshfest that is a successful updating of old extreme metal magics, No Return even turning in widdly solos which frankly sound overwhelmed, nervous and doomed amongst the skull-fry surrounding them.
