CoC : Suicidal Winds - Winds of Death : Review

Suicidal Winds - _Winds of Death_
(No Colours Records, 1999)
by: Alvin Wee (6 out of 10)

There's a limit to how much retro-thrash even a hardcore Destruction fan can take, and this one's pushing the limit already. Breaking lotsa heads and little new ground are Swedish thrashers Suicidal Winds with their debut slab of Sodom-esque ragings. Spewing forth mandatory Destruction and Sodom riffs at hyperspeed just doesn't cut it in today's saturated "retro" scene, and the pedestrian delivery on _WoD_ doesn't do much to alleviate the monotony of the album. While boasting some remarkable leads (on "Destroy") and killer hooks on the slower sections, much of the music fades into the background once the speed picks up. To be fair, their demo _Definitely War_ received few unfavourable comments in the underground, and this very album impressed a few who heard the pre-release promo. Still, I'd stay with labelmates Urgehal, and, just to prove that retro-thrash can be interesting, Swordmaster's _Deathrider 2000_. Either it takes more than these boys have to attain an Aura Noir ferocity, or they're not prepared to unleash it with their sophomore effort. Either way, only time will tell... (The vinyl version contains two extra tracks, and might be more worth your gold: CD 25DM, LP 22DM + postage.)

(article published 12/10/1999)