DECIMATOR
“Til The Enemies Are Gone”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

8/10

Decimator are a thrash metal band from Australia formed in 2021 releasing the bands debut album ‘Til The Enemies Are Gone’ in 2024.

Founded by vocalist/guitarist Lance Holland-Keen and (the bands former) guitarist Michael La Macchia, the Sydney based band blend thrash with traditional heavy metal and just a hint of doom to deliver a ground shuddering, heavy hitting avalanche of attitude and aggression – the bands current line-up featuring drummer Bon Lowe, bass player Coen Winchester and guitarist Ethan Reeves alongside founder Holland-Keen. So if you like your thrash to be mid tempo, extremely heavy and thunderous, this is the album for you, ‘Til The Enemies Are Gone’ striding into life with ‘Blackened Skies’. And a razor sharp guitar riff that’s gonna slice the airways to shreds, the band delivering a hustling, bustling tempo changing cacophony of thunder, fire and brimstone! The aggression and menace pouring outta the band is palpable, the scowling vocals causing a little fear among many listeners, Decimator taking no prisoners as the album roars on with the faster paced ‘Burn The Truth’. The level of head bang ability has just increased tenfold, ‘Burn The Truth’ warming the hearts and neck muscles of every head banger – the worldwide mosh pits becoming frantic as every mosher, metaller and thrasher puts their head banging skills to work!

The bands self titled song ‘Decimator’ reminds me a lot of the chaotic thrash leanings of early Venom – widely regarded as one of the first ever thrash (and black) metal bands, the Australian thrashers shuddering the ground with immense force to cause nearby buildings to shimmy and shake! And the vocals here too are venomous, and just like the box jellyfish they’re fucking deadly! ‘Killdozer’ is a menacing stroll that strides stealthily across the land with measured purpose, the band hitting harder than ever to send listeners flying through the wall and into next week! Yes readers, the force here is that great, Decimator living up to their (band name) meaning – “a decimator is one who decimates, a devastator or destroyer” according to a brief internet search. Methinks then, it may be time to batten down the hatches as a storm named Decimator is brewing on Australia’s south east coast – ‘Legions’ returning the razor sharp riffing from earlier, the band upping the tempo level and rocking fairly hard! Yes readers, rocking! I know rocking is not one of the more common words to use in a thrash metal review, but I just can’t seem to find a more appropriate word to describe ‘Legions’, a song that transcends musical boundaries and breaks down barriers!

Adopting a doom metal pace, ‘Phantoms’ is a menacing march of thunder stomping aggression, the band once more shuddering the ground with immense force, the scowling vocals as venomous as they have always been. There’s just no escaping the bands relentless heaviness, Decimator flattening everything and everyone in their way – no-one and nothing is safe from the Sydney storm! And with extreme heaviness and an electrifying burst of speed, ‘The Blade’ roars loudly, the band showing some ferocity within their brand of thrash, the heads of everyone rocking back and forth more violently than ever before. This level of speed has been rarer than a Woylie, Decimator much preferring a mid tempo, mid paced march – ‘Til The Enemies Are Gone’ coming to a close with the fast paced ‘The Rock’, the Australian thrashers making me eat my words, ’cause just as I say there’s not a lot of pace across the album, the band hit me with two quickies! And oh for fuck’s sake what a faux-pas! I’ve only just noticed I’ve gone and reviewed the album and songs alphabetically and not in the order they appear on the album! Sorry guys, it appears that my digital download didn’t have the songs numbered, so my media player just listed them in alphabetical order, but rather than re-write my review, I’m just gonna leave it as is, and hope no-one notices! That is until the end of my review when my apology unveils my mistake!

Overall, a very heavy menacing march of thrash metal with scowling, venomous vocals and an abrasive, fairly bruising nature.

TRACKLIST

Burn The Truth
The Rock
Legions
Phantoms
Blackened Skies
The Blade
Decimator
Killdozer

https://decimator1.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DecimatorBandAustralia

This review is the property of Iron Mathew and Metal Gods TV. It is strictly prohibited to copy any part of this review, unless you have both of the parties’ permission, or are the band/record label/PR company in question. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be considered as Plagiarism and you will be reported to the appropriate authorities

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