SCHIZO: Cicatriz Black

Cover	Release	Style
	2007-04-09	thrash / black metal
	Label
	www.scarletrecords.it
	Website
	www.schizo1.com
	Contact
	-
	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	39:57	SC 134-2
	Review by / Translated by	Rating
	Vera	7,5/10
nederlands	Review
It happens more than once that an initially so-so received album turns into a cult classic later, because it only appeared to be innovative many years later. That’s exactly what happened to Schizo’s first album ‘Main Frame Collapse’, originally released in 1989. At that time it was extraordinary heavy and extreme. This album was re-released recently, but now we have some really new work on ‘Cicatriz Black’. Leader of the gang still remains bass player Alberto Penzin and the return of guitarist S.B. will be rejoiced by many people. New forces are vocalist Nicola Accurso and drummer Dario Casabona. On top of this we have some guest appearances of Flegias (Necrodeath), Steve Sylvester (Death SS) en AC Wild (Bulldozer). Schizo stays true to its idiosyncratic style: raucous old school thrash/black metal in the vein of bands like Venom, Sodom, Discharge and Hellhammer. In Italy they were pioneers of the genre and later bands like Necrodeath and Mondocane assaulted the scene, featuring members of Schizo. The unpolished production of this album was done by the band itself, but the mastering was in the hands of well-known Peter In De Betou, who worked with eminent bands like Marduk, Bokor and Meshuggah before. The songs have a bestial brutality, pulverizing rhythms and scream-like vocals. The droning riffs soon get a hold of you and it happens very rare that this Italian thrash bulldozer slackens down the pace. Only the short piano intro of ‘Lacrimi Khristi’ and the atmospheric guitar intro of ‘Coma’s Grip’ (which reminds me of ‘The Celestial Alchemist’ of the mighty Forsaken of Malta) are moments of introspection in a hurricane of roaring thrash intensity. Though I prefer a bit more variation, this album is a must-have for the collection of fans of eighties thrash. That these men are able to profile themselves in a different way is proven in the occluding cover of Ennio Morricone ‘The Sicilian Clan’, being the most melodic song on this vehement piece of work.
Musicians
Nicola Accurso: vocals S.B. Reder: guitars, vocals Alberto Penzin: bass Dario Casabona: drums
Tracklist
Odium Restitution (2:20) Seen The Signs Before (4:24) Lacrima Khristi (2:56) M.G. 1942 (4:34) Demise: Desire (2:04) Agonizing (5:45) Phanatical X-X-X (4:27) Shine Of Scars (3:49) Coma’s Grip (4:45) The Sicilian Clan (4:41)
Discography


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