Metal Blade Records

Australia has been kind to metal fans, bestowing upon metalheads around the world the splendor that is Bestial Warlust, Destroyer 666, Sadistik Exekution, Gospel of the Horns, The Berzerker, Destruktor, and, of course, Razor of Occam, to name a few. 

Now residing in London, England, Razor of Occam is a fist in the face of: God, religion, superstition, mysticism, irrational thought, and most importantly, weak music. Homage to Martyrs is their debut album that sacrifices nothing in the name of full speed black thrashing cacophony. Featuring Ian Shrapnel of Destroyer 666 on lead guitars, and Matt Razor on vocals and rhythm guitars, speakers playing this album will spew out razor sharp thrash riffing paired up with equally razor sharp lyrics and rasping harsh vocals. Homage to Martyrs is literally unrelenting in its intensity, as a wall of sound engulfs the listener. Razor of Occam pillage through track after track of black thrashing chaos tied together with precision musicianship and the aggressive obsession of destruction. 

Lyrically, the album is a wealth of logic and rational opposition to the ignorant superstitions and rituals of humanity's past and present, while championing scientific thought as the colossus of modern thinking that it is. What you will not find are lyrics of the mystical or absurd nature that so many black metal or death metal or thrash metal bands dwell on and regurgitate album after album, decade after decade. Intelligent lyrics are sadly in small numbers in metal, but Razor of Occam are helping fix that.

Ian's ripping lead guitars cut through every track like a lightning bolt through butter, conveying the cosmic wonder of the universe as well as the terrible harshness of nature's reality. Heroic melody is a driving force among all of the hyper fast riffs, coupled with the drumming, presenting a fierce, calculated execution in each second of music that is much like a large scale wartime operation being conducted with utmost accuracy and swiftness. In the few moments where the tempo goes underneath something like 5 beats per second, there is only time to breathe, compose oneself for the imminent return to headbanging, and maybe a shot of whiskey. Each song is filled to the brim with maddening thrash riffs with a vicious black metal vocal attack, and light speed drumming that has little in the way of variety, but doesn't much need it. It would be hard or even impossible to try to pick standout tracks, since every song is a proud display of powerful metal assault. But the songs do not blend together, sounding identical or too similar. It is a mark of true genius and ability when a band can write 8 songs of the exact same style, with similar structures and formulas, but get them all sounding unique and each with their own slaughtering identity and individuality.

The first EP they released revealed what many could see as an unstoppable band, but this debut album reveals what everyone has no choice but to see as a merciless and unstoppable metal engine running on six million horsepower. 

1. Altar of Corruption  3:55

2. Bite of Dogmata  4:20

3. Day of Wrath  4:06

4. Heat of Battle  4:13

5. Immortal Code  3:39

6. Pattern on the Stone  4:07

7. Flame Bearers  3:30

8. Shadow of the Cross  5:50

Rating:  9.0/10