Death Tribe
Beyond Pain And Pleasure: A Desert Experiment – Self Released
Look at some of these titles – ‘Nuclear Hate’, ‘Psychopathetic’, ‘Death Blues’… Innovator Anthony Kaoteon isn’t messing about here. But if the songs are brutal, their inspiration is even more so. Ultimately, ‘Beyond Pain And Pleasure’ is beyond music too. It’s carved from a reality that sadly many have to deal with, but few can understand. This album is made of some of the hardest, heaviest extreme metal to exist. Solid headbanging riffs compete with screaming and growling knife-edge vocals on ‘Hollow’. Pummelling drums, unsettling vocals and massive riffs sear through the title track. Guitars shred their way into organised chaos as chords squirm and ‘Implode Explode’ reveals itself. Kaoteon was born in war-ravaged Beirut. Never willing to accept his lot, he forged forwards to create his own fate. This gives us some idea of the essence of this record, which was written over many years and features a number of musicians. Give it the respect it deserves and get it in your headphones.
Review by Jo Wright