Trivax - The Great Satan

Trivax is a death/black metal band from Tehran, and later based in the UK, who formed in 2009.  Their latest release, “The Great Satan,” is their third full-length album; they have also released two demos, four EPs, a collaboration, and two compilations.  

This album came out of left field for me and is a very pleasant surprise; before receiving the promo, I had never heard of the band.   But what’s even more surprising is “The Great Satan,” isn’t just another run-of-the-mill extreme metal album.  There are a lot of dynamics and details to the albums, making it an engrossing and very interesting experience. 

The subject matter is a bit different as well.  According to their press release, “The Great Satan is a bold statement on the dark side of Islam and Middle Eastern turmoil, particularly the devastating 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, led by the mullahs.”   So they offer more than just the the standard “I’m going to fuck butt fuck Jeebus while skinning angels,” subject matter.  Nothing wrong with that but it’s nice to see their lyrical depth matches that of their music.

Their extremity isn’t bound by conventional means but instead a constant stepping outside of the blackened death box.  The songs fuse Middle Eastern melodies and weave in the haunting sound of cultural instruments oud and baglama.   Each song is part of a greater whole but is also their own little world, each chock full of experiences and sounds.

As far as the more specific details to the metal side of things, the sound is rooted in black metal but there are plenty of death metal elements and even thrash.  I also encountered waves of grove, which is always a good thing to me. 

The album begins with the intro song, “Atash,” which displays the unconventional instrumentation but also builds up into the roaring flames of darkness that lead into the first full song.

“To Liberation and Beyond,” begins with sharp, thrash drumming and guitars that quickly matches the speed of the drums before the band settles into a blackened passage.  I really like that harrowing scream, pairing well with the cymbal work for optimum urgency.  The vocals are deep and throaty but are intelligible, often switching between English, Persian and Arabic languages.   Near the end of the song, the guitars cast catchy grooves that build off against the rumbling of the band’s rhythmic powerhouse.  

I don't know if it was done on purpose or not but “Here Comes The Flood,” hits right out of the gate like the unstoppable rising action of water.  The drums rain down their own deadly form of nature while the guitars swirl through like the oncoming of events that cannot be abated.  The middle portion has a hardcore energy with dizzying riffs that threaten to unravel my sanity before breaking off into a more dissonant passage.

I love the surprising twist in the beginning of “Daemon’s Melancholia,” as it’s very imaginative and opens up the band’s sound.  The vocals bark out with a vicious venom, complemented by the drums that hit at just the right height of engagement.  After a particularly potent blackened passage, the song turns into a clean melodic romp that fits into the overall picture seamlessly and showcases another side of the band, one that’s just as important as the more violent and angry side. 

“Operation Ramadan,” is my favorite song on the album.  The build up is nerve wrecking, trepidation settling in as I tried to anticipate when the song was going to break.  It does so, just before the one minute mark as the song slides into one of the album’s best passages of melodic tinged black metal.  This song is the audio equivalent of the walls coming down: tumultos, dangerous, and one thing after another.  The song never lets up for a second, there is no chance for a breather or respite as it goes from one style to the next.  Everything from melodic metal, to black and death, to fast paced thrashy elements is presented here. 

Trivax and “The Great Satan,” is recommended to extreme metal fans that want that visceral image and feeling but don’t mind a band injecting some unique melody and experimentation. 

Rating:  Great