(Album Review) CHEMICIDE - Common Sense

Release date: March 15, 2022 (Ind. release) Written by Jeff Tighe Common Sense is the fourth full length release from Costa Rica's Chemicide since their 2008 formation. This 9-song, 36-minute album is a masterful display of old school thrash that will have fans of Kreator and other late 80s thrashers pushing play repeatedly.

This band is one tight unit, delivering a hurricane of metal for those who like it extreme, but still discernible. The production is clean allowing each aspect of the music to shine, from Luis Fer's frantic drumming, to Jorge's fine bass work, the lead guitar of Sebastian and the rhythm guitar of lead vocalist Frankie. Frankie's English language vocals are harsh growls, but without an annoying black or death affectation, along the lines of Mille Petrozza, and fit the music perfectly.

For the most part the music is fast and furious, as is required of thrash. The main exception is "Barred Existence", which the band released a video for indicating that it is the album's single. That track is slow and not particularly interesting, being the sole song that fails to impress. The other eight tracks are mostly high speed, crushing metal, and are worthy of the attention of any metalhead who thinks Judas Priest are on the tame side of metal.

Kicking off at 100 miles an hour with "Self Destruction", Chemicide have enough variety and changes in riffs within and between songs to keep things interesting. "Lunar Eternity" and "Common Sense" follow at a similar velocity before things slow down for "Barred Existence". The band then get back at it with "False Democracy", a track that is more hardcore punk than thrash.

"Color Blind" is up next, which is also a slower song, but is well written enough to be interesting. The final three tracks are all speedy numbers, with the last one, "It's An Action" being another punk influenced ditty. The bottom line with this album is that it is extremely well written. It is hard to write catchy songs that will still peel the wall, but Chemicide have done that with Common Sense. A must buy for thrashers.

(8.5)