Comando Caveira
Ataque Terrorista
5.7
Comando Caveira is the kind of band that doesn’t merit any fancy words or fine alliteration in their honor. Though, it probably is less a question a merit and more a matter of plain consequence. After all, this Brazilian born crust-thrash outfit, is well – just that. A Brazilian crust-thrash band.
Ataque Terrorista, the band’s first full length offering, is made up of twelve raw-as-roadkill, no frills thrash punk songs that owe just as much to 80s hardcore as they do to metal of the same decade. It is as straightforward and garbage-fed as anything you’d expect from something that comes paired with a ‘crust’ prefix, and doesn’t stray much in its execution. All of the songs, for the most part, are well rooted in either elementary thrash or mid-tempo punk with occasional anathematic tendencies. In fact, there is little about any aspect of the album that really merits much dissection. Whatever gut response you may have to the phrase ‘thrash-punk,’ just go with it and chances are you will be pretty close.
While trying to describe the band’s less than intricate sound may be moot – their success in delivery is a different story altogether. Considering what the band are trying to do – it is fair to say that they do it proficiently, yet that is still far removed from calling it good. My main complaint would be simply that the Portuguese shouted vocals come across more as an afterthought and not the well of pure hatred that makes D-beat influenced thrash like this worth the listen. Rather than invoking any emotional response in the already dull music, the vocals sound completely uninspired and add nothing to the overall mix. Other than that, all the expected elements are in place. The production value is almost non-existent in that ‘it sounds like shit, but it’s a good thing’ sort of way, only twice do the songs clock in at over three minutes and there is no messing around with any real development. This is straight to the point, stick you guns type thrash-punk – it would be blasphemy to demand any more from it and in that, it succeeds rather well.
I wouldn’t send anyone out to scour for this, imaginably, tough to find record. The band can play their style of music competently enough to avoid any overly harsh criticism for ineptitude but it doesn’t change the fact that if you have a craving for music of this nature there is a whole list of alternates doing it far better, and even within the confines, making it urgent, relevant and fun. All things this proficient but mediocre debut lacks.
