Repent - Condemned to Fail

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There is again a lot of interest in the classic thrash metal area, after many years in which this genre, which made the fortune of metal. Especially in the nineties, thrash metal was just put aside: first, it was grunge, then alternative metal, then some genre spinoffs, and only recently the classic thrash has gained its momentum again – see the new popularity of bands like DEATH ANGEL (which I love), or DESTRUCTION, or XENTRIX, just to name a few. REPENT were formed back in 1992 in Southern Germany, and this “Condemned to fail” follows “Vortex of violence”, who received mixed reviews (check the Metal-temple review here) released seven years ago. Since then, some lineup changes happened, with the complete rhythm section replaced by the one who played in the second demo.

The music proposed by REPENT is a classical thrash metal, and from the little I have heard from the previous releases, some melodic elements have been introduced, evolving the band’s sound. Still, to me it is not enough to consider “Condemned to fail” a decent album, but, honestly, it is possible to find some good tracks in it. The opener “Pride of creation” is a hell of song, powerful, with a potent drumming and a lot of energy, and some techno-thrash breaks. The groove of “Hypocrite’s tears” is intriguing, but the vocals of Jürgen "Eumel" Aumann do not fit properly (but in general, his throaty voice is in my opinion too plain, although it is a matter also of poor production). Another highlight of the album in my opinion is “Scientific ideals”, which mixes solid element typical the classic German thrash tradition and some melodic opening, like the guitar solo.

Personally, I do not like the production: the drums sound like a cookware set, and in general the sound is old-fashioned, like it was recorded in the early nineties. What instead I have appreciated is the conceptual work behind the lyric; citing guitarist Philip Rath, “We consider ourselves to be creation’s crown but have to live in harmony with nature instead of destroying it”: I love when music faces important themes and creates awareness about those topics.

Songwriting: 6
Originality: 3
Memorability: 3
Production: 4