Supernatural Death – Vinyl

Description

Opprobrium – Supernatural Death – Vinyl, deserves greater recognition for its exceptional quality and enduring impact.

Supernatural Death stands as a testament to their unparalleled ferocity, as a milestone in both the death metal and thrash metal genres, displaying a remarkable blend of musical prowess.

Supernatural Death leaves a profound mark on listeners. In the 1980s, the original Incubus, responsible for this masterpiece, captivated audiences with their unrivaled heaviness, speed, and intensity.

Hailing from Brazil, the original Incubus (Opprobrium) was among the first bands to successfully fuse death metal and thrash metal.

Their debut demo solidified their reputation as one of the most savage bands of the ’80s. Unfortunately, due to copyright issues with a pop band sharing the same name, they had to undergo a period of inactivity and rebrand themselves as Opprobrium.

The defining feature of Opprobrium – Supernatural Death lies in its meticulously crafted and executed riffs. Each song displays a level of intricacy rarely associated with such extreme bands.  Opprobrium effortlessly transitions between slower tempos, creating oppressively heavy riffs, and lightning-fast tremolo passages.

Their early song structures and riffs demonstrate the band’s remarkable capabilities during this formative period. Guitarist Francis M. Howard’s talent shines through, his mind-blowing riffs and superior songwriting becoming even more refined in their subsequent album, Beyond the Unknown.

The raw production of Supernatural Death complements the guitar work, creating a distinct distortion sound reminiscent of bands like Exhorder and Demolition Hammer. Notably, the opening of “Sadistic Sinner” exemplifies the album’s commanding guitar tone, immediately setting the stage for an exhilarating experience.

Yet, it is the drumming that truly sets Supernatural Death apart. The unique hyper-snare style employed by the drummer contributes to the album’s claim as one of the fastest thrash metal recordings. While some may mistake it for blast-beats due to its lightning-fast tempo, closer scrutiny reveals a skillful execution of a thrash beat style, which is a remarkable achievement.

The drummer’s ability to strike the bass drum before the snare, characteristic of thrash beats, but at an astonishing speed, rivals even bands utilizing full blast-beats like Napalm Death. This feat is a testament to their exceptional skill.

Many bands employing full blast-beats struggle to match the velocity at which Incubus executes their thrash beats. Contrary to widespread belief, which assumes that death metal and black metal bands using blast-beats are inherently faster than thrash, Supernatural Death challenges this notion.

The Supernatural Death – Vinyl album’s intensity sometimes borders on grind-core, yet it remains firmly rooted in the thrash metal realm. While numerous contemporary bands employ hyper blasts, making them sound impressively fast and inhuman, the lack of distinction between one band’s blast beats and another is becoming apparent. However, Opprobrium stands alone in their ability to perform thrash beats at tempos that no other band dared to attempt.