Down Factor
Murder The World
8
Like Beneath the Remains/Arise era Sepultura? Like Dew-Scented? Like tight, modern, slightly deathy thrash metal (Machine Head maybe?) with a rhythm section tighter than Dakota Fanning’s honey pot? Then you will like Down Factor’s no-nonsense, no frills take on modern thrash metal. Though hardly creative, it’s tight, razor sharp and free from ego, core or pretentiousness.
Admittedly, Down Factor isn’t quite as relentless as Dew-Scented, as they actually have some variety and pacing akin to their native Bay Area sound (Sacred Reich namely), but their overall backbone and rhythm section reminded me of the German moshers. Also, this isn’t the most unique or challenging album you will hear in 2005, but it's one of the stoutest and most straight up honest to goodness thrashy ones.
If there was a ‘weak’ link for Down Factor it would be the vocals of George Anderson, as his gruff, monotone shout is pretty flat and doesn’t match the power and delivery of the music, still it’s serviceable and appropriate within the confines of the genre. The strongpoint has to be drummer Ramon Ochoa and bassist Waylon Ford whose rigid backbone reeks of classic thrash and a new snarling veneer.
The songs themselves are what you would expect in a modern thrash album; a mix of fast, high octane bruisers (“Blood of the Patriots pt 1 and 2”, “A Song About Insanity”) and slower, more paced and precise salvos (“Gods of War”, “Blinded”, “Eye Consume”, “Seethe”) and to their credit, Down Factor, other than brief instrumental opener “The Wake” and “The Root of All Evil” which snarls with instrumental menace, veer away from any sort of piecemeal break, interlude or wanton acoustics. The closing title track is the nail in the coffin; a superb mix of both afore mentioned styles.
Rounded out by a Michael Rosen (Testament, Death Angel, Vio-lence) production that delivers the chug and crunch, Murder the World is, in their own words, ‘angry refined and accessible’, but it also certainly brings the pain.
