Devil's Gate Music
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At a guess I’d say that Kent outfit Spreading The Disease are more about having a laugh with their name (especially when it’s abbreviated for their logo) than any kind of Anthrax connection. The music is deadly serious mind you, full of anger and plenty of skull splitting riffs to go with some infectious grooves. Wearing the influences of Pantera, Slipknot and Machine Head firmly on their sleeves STD are an all out assualt on the senses and one that the neighbours might not thank you for blasting out on a lazy Sunday morning.
The fetchingly titled ‘F.U.C.K.U’ blasts out the speakers with it’s Thrash Metal riffs and perhaps musically there might be a tip of the hat to ‘Thrax but then Adam May comes in with a deep guttural growl that would blow Joey Belladonna’s headdress off into the wind. An aggressive two middle fingers up to anyone who crossed the band, lots of changes in direction throughout and at one point I’m certain that I heard a disco drum-beat ? A brutal four minutes that’s for sure.
‘Lost Generation’ has a crushing Groove Metal riff slamming away in the background that will induce a hundred Pantera comparisons but then the guitar comes in mid-song for some sweet Thrash Metal with hints of ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’.
‘Bulldozer’ is a seven minute behemoth beginning with some clean vocals over a pulsating drum-beat. The song has a real swagger to it but some of the background vocals are a bit off putting and seem other-worldly, if you were listening on headphones you’d swear that some mischievous spirit had just whispered in your ear. There’s a great bridge round about the 2.45 mark that displays another aspect to May’s vocal talents. The song changes tempo mid song for a trippy interlude before the band come blasting back in with some frantic thrashing.
‘Evolution’ ends the EP with a Trad Metal intro, very Judas Priest twin guitar like, before a Nu metal groove takes over. Korn with some balls maybe ? The patterns change constantly as the band change tact on numerous occasions and the acoustic outro is a pleasant surprise.
As debut EP’s go this is solid introduction to a band that should tick a lot of boxes for fans of different genres of this thing that we call Metal. Worthy of further investigation on your part most definitely.
For more info on Spreading The Disease including how to purchase ‘Viral’ then head over to the bands Website
Review by Dave Stott
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