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Scars - The Nether Hell


*
=Staff's pick

Creatures That Comes Alive In The Dark
Warfare
Nether Hell*
Legions (Forgotten By The Gods)
Return To The Killing Ground*
Hidden Roots Of Evil*


Genre Thrash Metal
Regis F
Vocals
Tracks 6
Eduardo Boccomino
Guitar
Runningtime 29 Min.
Alex Zeraib
Guitar
Label Hellion Records
André Sterzza
Bass
Release 13 March 2005
Patrick Leung
Drums
Country Brazil
-
Keyboards
Similar artists Slayer, Sacred Reich, Forbidden

Scars from Brazil started already back in 1991 and before they were dissolved in 1998 they managed to play with such great acts as Anthrax and Kreator among others. And their debut, and as far as I can see their only album up until now, is Ultimate Encore that was released in 1994. Scars was put back together again in the spring of 2004 and by early 2005 the in-your-face thrash EP The Nether Hell saw the light of day.

It is heavy and hard-hitting thrash Scars deliver, brutal and in your face with a dark ambience that is lit up by guitar leads in the vein of Slayer. The first track Creatures That Come Alive In The Dark is heading forward with full force combined with furious guitars and a great deal of aggression. And even though vocalist Regis screams with anger his voice sounds controlled, his voice is dark and harsh yet he sings with clean vocals. With the second track Warfare you have once again more crushing thrash riffs but compared with the other tracks on this EP, it goes by rather unnoticed.

The title track The Nether Hell shows a more varied side of Scars. It is slower with a heavy groove in the rhythm as well as some fast and heavy Slayer riffing sounding of the Seasons In The Abyss era. It also has a few great harmony parts that lift the song further, and in all this is a really great song. Return To The Killing Ground is just like the title track more restrained and is delivered with pressure and some heavy chugging riffs complete with an Exodus groove. The chorus (repeat the title twice) slows down an otherwise splendid song.

With the two remaining tracks you come closer to hear their influences from death metal, in the fast hard hitting Legions (Forgotten By The Gods) all you have to do is exchange the vocals with growls and with the fast shredding guitars you would have thrash inspired death. With the last and excellent song Hidden Roots Of Evil they come even closer to death metal when they are blending furious shredding with tasteful leads and the vocals are darker and more harsh. The slow parts backed with keyboards also help to give a darker and a more Dimmu Borgir mood to their basis of thrash.

Scars prove to be a fine band very well capable of delivering thrash of a high calibre. They sound tight and the guitar leads and solos do a good job spicing up their thrash. If I am to point out some weaknesses it is that the vocals, although suiting the music fine, tend to become a bit monotonous and that the drums sound way too flat. Apart from that, Scars don't leave me with much to complain about.

Production
Vocals
Compositions

4

6

8,5

 
Summary



7 chalices of 10 - Thomas

Related links:

www.scars.com.br