review: Commando

Commando

Rites of Damnation

High Roller Records

22.05.2020

The Swedish band is old-school cult-style heavy and speed metal with crazed vocals (somewhat reminiscent of the crazed style of Exodus’ Paul Baloff). The music channels the frequency of the early 1980s before fast heavy metal turned into thrash. It is a raw, unpolished form that has hooks and melodies, and is the textbook definition of traditional heavy metal headbanging, fists-in-the-air music. You can almost hear the band screaming to the audience, “Kill all posers! If you see anybody with a Bon Jovi or Poison shirt, to kick them out this building right now, aaaarggghhh!!”

This recording is only 24 minutes, so even in that regard they follow the old days of do-it-yourself bands doing demos, singles, splits and Eps. Apparently the band relatively new and young, but they seem to know their craft. Metal Archives shows that they began in 2016, did a demo in 2018 and now this EP. So, some people think “heavy metal” and think operatic singers and midtempo rock anthems or power metal?! This is a dirty type of heavy metal. This is most definitely not power metal. If anything, this is more like “necro cult” old-style speed heavy metal, if you want to get fancy with the labels. Fans of Manilla Road, Brocas Helm and Mercyful Fate may really like this.

Commando - Final Judgement (Official Track)

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