VoodooPriest - Mandu

VoodooPriest

Mandu

by Marcus Kemp at 20 July 2014, 6:23 PM

Before I get started with this review, I’m going to start out by saying that Death and Thrash metal are genres that I have never really been a big fan of but I decided to give it a chance when listening to this debut album from Brazilian Death & Thrash Metal band VOODOOPRIEST.

Formed in 2012, this quintet have so far released one self-titled EP and a single from their debut album “Mandu” which was released this year. The album was released independently on no record label, which is a good move to make when releasing your first album so you can test the waters and see if it will grab the attention of a record label.

Judging by the album cover and the lyrical content of some songs mainly the title track “Mandu”, the theme for this album seems to harken back to the days of voodoo magic in West Africa when it started during the French Colonial Period. Sometimes it can often be a good idea to dive through history to find inspiration for the lyrical and musical content of your album.

Produced by Brendan Duffey and Adriano Daga, “Mandu” is what you would expect from a Thrash Metal album. All of the music and content is fast paced with furious shredding, insane drumbeats, heavy basslines, wailing vocals and some fast guitar work. From the opening track “Dominate and Kill” to the closing track “We Shall Rise” along with the title track “Mandu”, each track is everything you would expect if you are a fan of Thrash or Death Metal. Unfortunately though, as good as the mixing may be, this is where things start to go downhill.

As someone who has never really liked Thrash or Death metal, I’m glad to say that all of my prejudices remain intact. I guess my biggest complaint is the vocals as they are always too growly and nine times out of ten you can never really understand what is being sung unless you refer to the lyrics all the time when listening to them. You can occasionally make out a word or two when listening to them but the rest of them are lost in the music and the mix most of the time.

That said however, if you like heavy music that is guaranteed to start a mosh pit at a concert and get your blood pumping, “Mandu” by VOODOOPRIEST is a good place to start if you are looking for new Death or Thrash metal.