Atakke - Avalanche
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| Photo by bikepunkmorgan Review by Francesco Ferorelli |
I’ve seen crossover thrashers Atakke a few times over the past three years. Even when they were rougher around the edges, it was clear they were promising. With two 7″s in as many years, Atakke are in no rush. That patience serves them well on Avalanche (Mountains of Madness, 2009). It’s a rager. All three songs launch out of the gate fast, dirty, and heavy. Churning down-tuned guitars and groovy double bass show off a Bolt Thrower fetish. Songwriting is economic and engaging, avoiding hardcore’s often redundant minimalism and metal’s often redundant excess. Kylesa’s Phillip Cope’s production flatters Atakke’s turn-on-a-dime assault. One minute a wah-fueled Motörhead solo arches over the smog, and the next all five instruments unite with a common enemy: you. Overdriven cymbals slash and burn like Brazilian farmers clearcutting rainforest. Gut-punch guitars bulldoze anything left standing, while Puke shrieks doomsday prophecy. Just as Cro-Mags did so masterfully on Age of Quarrel, Atakke do NYC blues right: hostile, ragged, and amped up.
