Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Here is a group that was not about to play around with clever band titles that lend an air of mystery to the musical style. The terms "speed," "kill," and "hate" sum up pretty well the heavy thrash of this sonic punch in the nose. Considering the blue collar, no-frills approach, it will come as no surprise that three-fourths of the unit that played on "Acts of Insanity" are (or have been) members of OVERKILL. Said members include Dave Linsk (guitarist, producer, and project mastermind), Tim Mallare (drums), and bassist Derek Tailer (an angry Mario Frasca holds down the vocal position). However, the OVERKILL comparisons stop with the no-nonsense attack, as SPEED\KILL/HATE is a much heavier affair. The songs on "Acts of Insanity" are faster and decidedly more brutal. The band also takes cues from acts like SLAYER and modern day EXODUS, while I can also hear the heavier moments of a group like BRICK BATH. However, those are mere reference points, as SPEED\KILL/HATE in many ways strips the brutality down to its bare essence, offering songs that, while not clones of one another, attempt to be little more than a collective 36-minute concussion.
And man is this sucker fast! The speedometer needle stays firmly in the red from start to finish. The drumming style of Tim Mallare (replaced by SINDROME's Tony Ochoa) is subtle as a battering ram, his double-bass lethality and merciless stick violence a serious threat to woofers and tweeters everywhere. The riffs may not be inventive, but are thick, chunky, and thrashed up to the core. The solos unleashed are not flashy, just cutting and to the point. There is not a lot of breathing room in Linsk's production, the idea being to crush the listener with sheer tonnage and audio suffocation. Frasca's vocal delivery is constant rage. Rooted in a quasi-hardcore barking style (do NOT think traditional hardcore or metalcore) with a healthy dose of Phil Anselmo and to a lesser extent Tom Araya.
As for the songs, take your pick, as the intensity level never wavers. We'll mention a few. "Revelation at War (R.A.W.)" boot-stomps its way into your heart, while highlights "Face the Pain" and "Walls of Hate" incorporate drill-sergeant backing shouts that are wisely set in the middle of the mix (as opposed to the typically overdone gang shout variety) with face-melting riffs and a dangerous high-speed approach. So ok, I exaggerated a tiny a bit about the constancy of tempo, as "Not for Me" slows down just a hair (and effectively so), it being one example where I could hear a little modern day EXODUS. Put simply, "Acts of a Insanity" is a swift kick to the privates that may not result in dropped jaws for its arrangement complexity, but will certainly break jaws with its bloody-knuckles solution for conflict.
- blabbermouth.net
Discography
Acts of Insanity- Escapi Music
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Engraved over the bands logo are the words East Coast Thrash, and thats a good and substantial starting point with this band of brash brothers, brothers who are pros and have picked their instruments of violence wisely. Speed Kill Hate is the brainchild of Dave Linsk. With the aid of life long friend, Mario Frasca together have latched upon an infectious strain of time-straddled death thrash metal that improves upon the work they had done together under the Anger On Anger banner.
But the core of the bands debut, Acts Of Insanity, begins with guitarist Linsks drive to make songs come alive that could not be accepted under the auspices of his other band Overkill (of note, Overkill drummer Tim Mallare and Overkill bassist Derek Tailer play on the album as well). There have always been some problems in breaking into that bands songwriting circle, but one must also surmise that the blasted Acts Of Insanity tracks were almost too potent and aggressive for that bands current musical direction. Indeed, Speed Kill Hate churn an earthy, no-nonsense fastback thrash that enigmatically grabs the best from the old school while adding production edge from the new.
Speed Kill Hates style definitely fits in with the thrash community, but at the same time trying to do something a little different. Bridging the old with the new and adding in some death elements into the mix. Some people actually say, You guys have started up something new called thrashcore. Linsk replies, well, that's OK. Mario is into some hardcore stuff and has a bit of that in his vocal style, and he brings that to the thrash thing that is going on in the music.
But one of the most impressive elements concerning Acts Of Insanity is its tight but evident versatility, the album sequenced for maximum headbanging blood-rushed playability, the bands obvious wealth of experience serving to make the record ebb and flow while still remaining uncompromising and harsh.
Turns out that fan reaction has affirmed this stated sentiment, that a profusion of compositions spill forth when folks are surveyed for their faves. Absolutely, everybody has a different opinion, says Dave. It depends on what style of music you really like best. If you're the straight-up old school thrash metal kind of guy, something like Walls Of Hate seems to hit home with a lot of people. If you are more of a Slayer kind of guy, more up-tempo, maybe something like Face The Pain. I personally like the song Setting Me Off, which is kind of a hybrid of both. Theres something different going on in each one that would have someone focus in on what they think is the best one. But then again you do hear that people like the Violence Breeds quite often. Still, it's kind of strange to not hear the same song come out every time.
Indeed, Face The Pain itself is a microcosm of the album as a whole the bands grooves are there, as well as the technicality and a cogent hardcore punk vibe. Setting Me Off chugs briskly like classic mosh-mad Anthrax, while Wont See Fear mixes powerful militaristic half-time beats with chord washes and locked-down rhythm guitar thunder. Violence Breeds again stomps the sweet spot between hardcore and old school thrash, with a killer collapse into the albums most anthemic moment, Mario barking Hey, are you ready? to a merciless machine gun riff n rhythm from Dave.
Walls Of Hate is definitely a good tune, adds Mario. The idea of that title it could relate to a relationship with a girl - you've got a wall between you and it takes years of being together to get that wall to finally break down. Every one of those songs definitely has meaning to them. Enemy - that song is about the war. I mean, there was just so much craziness. While tracking, we were watching TV in our breaks, doing lunch, and wed incorporate stuff that was just going on right that day in Iraq, information the news was beaming out. Lyrically, things just rub in my mind, and thats where they come out in our lyrics.
At the vocal end of things, one instantly notices the depth and purity of Marios hardcore sensibility. I've always liked Max from Sepultura, and of course Slayer. Not that I really sing that way, but Slayer was definitely an influence. I just try to go for what comes naturally. People always ask me, How the hell do you do that shit all the time? I just tell them, It's my yelling voice (laughs). In other words, when I get angry, that's what I sound like. I like anything that's got drive to it. I like music from death to thrash to hardcore. I'm into anything that you could say has power and believability to it; I'm not into the phony stuff. If I can feel it, I know a good. In a live setting, man, Setting Me Off is a hard one to sing, because it's pretty quick, quicker than on the record. Other than that, all of them are a blast to do; I have fun with all of them. I'm just totally into the vibe of what we've got goin
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