Oh, my friggin’ God!! What an absolute stomper of an album!

Ok, let me just compose myself enough to write this review so I can tell you exactly why I just said what I did!

Wrath is the professional name of Texas native, but Brazil based, genre fluid and multi-instrumentalist producer Nick Giardino and Red Dragon is his latest album, released on 19/11/2022, and the only question I have about that is why have I not heard this until now??

With this album, Wrath delves into the hybrid world of cybergrind. I had personally never really heard of cybergrind but according to the Urban Dictionary it is “a form of grindcore that, aside from the instruments used by ordinary grindcore, uses computer generated sounds and/or drum machines and other synthetic instruments to create an insanely fast and brutal sound,” and I have now discovered that I absolutely love it!

An instrumental album, it kicks in right from the off with heavy riffs and pounding drums overlayered with the electronic synths that just give that extra punch!

This album mixes groove metal guitar riffs and double kick drums with electronic drums and dubstep bass drops and the result is outstanding. The industrial vibe the album gives off would make a superb soundtrack for a futuristic vampire or horror film and it makes you want to bang your head and bop around at the same time.

Metal in places, techno in others and dance-infused in others, each track takes the listener on a high-speed journey through multiple genres, and you just never know where you will end up.

Changes in tempo and pace are happening all over the place, and not just between tracks as each song is an absolute whirlwind, full on speed one minute, then slightly more chilled (if you can be chilled listening to cybergrind!) the next then back up to breakneck velocity.

The album has a very chaotic sound with everything going on at once, but it really does work as the listener never knows what direction he is going off in next. It really is a fest for the ears as there is so much to take in and it really needs a couple of play throughs to really catch it all.

The use of distortion is rampant throughout the album, but it would never have that industrial, mechanised, metal feel without it, so this is only a good thing.

I must say I think I am in love with this album, I enjoyed it THAT much! After days of listening to music that was on the “softer” side of things shall we say, this album really was like a breath of fresh air.

Please, please, please go and check out this album. I think, no I KNOW, you will not be disappointed.

More please Wrath!! You have a definite fan here!

Track Listing:

1) Of the Gods

2) Fire Spin

3) Earthquake

4) Eruption

5) Fire Style

6) Red Dragon

7) Outrage

8) Jörmungandr

9) Caro

10) Eternatus

This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum