Swiss thrashers FREAKINGS are back with their fourth album Rise of Violence. This three piece comprises of Jonathan Brutschin (guitar, vocals) and brothers Toby (bass) and Simon Straumann (drums). The name itself might cause you to be hasty in comparing it to KREATOR’s 2017 album Gods of Violence but I’m here to tell you that I believe that to be an interesting comparison. Not that we should be making comparisons like that at all – every band deserves to be judged on their own merits.
KREATOR play on demonic imagery in order to extoll the merits of being evil within their music, FREAKINGS do not do this. Their name itself is, I suspect, a pun on ‘three kings’ (As in ‘we three kings of Orient are…’). They rely heavily on Christian imagery in their lyrics and as a result may not be for everyone. I would however invite you to stick around and give them a go simply because of the musicianship on offer here. They did do a cover of the Lord’s Prayer on a previous album and I did not know I wanted that.
The follow up to 2016’s Toxic End opens with the track False Prophets a hard hitting straight to the point song. You’ve got the riff and that low scream straight away this lets you know that they mean business, it’s Thrash but exactly how I like it and that sets you up to listen to the whole album.
I have to say the stand out track on this album for me is Psychedelic Warfare, which gave me chills upon first listening to it. That opening riff reminds me of why I love Thrash Metal and that solo is so perfectly formed within the song that it’s hard to imagine anything else there.
The album ends with King Reigns. It’s short and I got half way through believing it to be an instrumental, which I was actually pretty on board for. The song typifies the bands ideology in lyrics; dealing with how Christ died for our sins so that we could reach paradise and for me this is an issue. I love the vocal style, the attitude of it but the message is so overwhelmingly positive that it takes me out of the aggressiveness of the music.
I can’t really say that I can appreciate the message of the lyrics. Not to say they’re badly written or vocalised it’s the fact that I don’t subscribe to any religion. I can appreciate the art that comes from it but I feel like I cannot fully enjoy it because I’m not already in awe of the inspiration. It’s like looking at the ceiling of the Sistine chapel for me the craftsmanship is there, the artistry is well put together but for me it is not like seeing the face of, well, God.
My personal taste for the lyrical themes aside, I have to say it is a good album. If you like your sound somewhere between SLAYER and OBITUARY with a little bit of MUNICIPAL WASTE chucked in you should definitely go and listen to this album.
Rating: 6/10
Words: Jacob McCrone
Rise Of Violence will be unleashed 27th September 2019 via MetalMessage PR.
Find FREAKINGS on Facebook, Twitter and their official website.
