Band : Annihilation
Album title : Against The Storm
Label : Casket Music – Copro Records
Distributor : PHD – Bertus
Release date : 18/07/2011
Release : CD

Hum, it's fair to say that in Extreme Metal the bandname has had quite some popularity, as I know of 5 bands that used to go by that name (3 of which American, one Scottish, and another one Swedish), one which is currently on hold (Danish band from Arhus), and two more still active bands (one from Australia, the other from France), but this early '90s US Death Metal-styled act from Portugal is the first I know of to release an official album!

Originally from Almeirim, the now Lisboa based band (Almeirim is situated some 68 km NW from Lisboa, up the Tagus river) was formed in January 2004 by a bunch of friends whom have been working hard to create their own sound in the Brutal styled Death Metal genre. They released a first recording session, simply titled Promo 2006, in 2006 (Dóh!), and have toured up and down their country, playing in smaller venues as well as on summer festivals. In January-February of 2010 the band [then consisting of lead singer/ guitarist Fàbio “Nitra” Silva, guitarist Daniel Pacheco, bassist/ backing singer Diogo Silva - I'm still not certain whether he and Fàbio are related – and drummer Gabriël Teykal (at a certain moment the band was even a quintet with former W.A.K.O. guitarist Pedro Lopes adding to the frenzy)] spent time at Lisboa's Brugo Sound Studios where, in a co-production with the latter, Hugo Camarinha recorded, mixed, and mastered the band's debut album. With Teykal cited alongside Fàbio as co-writer of the music, and only contributor of the lyrics, it's somewhat surprising to find him relieved of duty by May 2010, and replaced by the band's new drummer André Hencleeday. That same month, the band signed onto the roster of Italian promotion and management agency Alkemist Fanatix Europe.

As mentioned earlier, the band's Death Metal style is best compared to the brutality of the early '90s US acts, which doesn't mean that there's some progressive and technical elements nevertheless...as you will be able to tell for yourselves by listening to the threesome of songs posted at (www.) myspace.com/annihilationmetal. I'm sure you will agree that Fàbio and Diogo have darn similar growls...which makes the whole that much more interesting! By the way, in the UK the album was already unleashed upon the Dark Hordes on June 27.

90/100

Tony.