Grab a beer and lean in, because we need to talk about what is bubbling up from the South American underground right now. Hailing from the hyper-fertile scene of Santiago, Chile, Abreaktion delivers a lethal dose of violent, late-80s Thrash Metal that will instantly appeal to fans of early Kreator, Sacrifice, and Holy Terror. On their debut EP, ‘Bornhatred’, these maniacs do not mess around with modern studio tricks or sterile, overproduced fluff. Instead, they unleash a raw, bloody-knuckled assault that beautifully bridges the gap between classic Teutonic Speed Metal savagery and the sophisticated, high-tempo structural flow of classic Bay Area Thrash Metal.
The first thing that grabs you by the throat is the razor-edged guitar tone and the absolute venom of the vocal delivery. Roran Fatehatred fronts the attack with a rasped, harried vocal style that acts as a dead ringer for ‘Endless Pain’-era Mille Petrozza, soaked in a spot-on organic echo that drips with pure malice. A track like ‘Empty Promises’ perfectly illustrates their tightness, kicking off with a dramatic single-guitar intro before blitzing into a masterclass of rapid-fire syncopated picking and harried drum rattles. When they step on the gas for ‘Pyromaniac’, the intro carries a distinct scent of sulfur and a nod to early Death Metal urgency before settling into a relentless headbanging groove driven by Matías Gallardo’s precise double-bass drumming technique.
Pablo Castillo’s leads add a fantastic, traditional flair to the chaos. If I have one minor gripe to air while we finish this round, it’s that the bass guitar could stand a bit higher in the mix to really anchor those technical rhythm patterns and give the lower frequencies a bit more punch. That said, the production out of Lion’s Roar Studios keeps the overall sound crisp, punchy, and thoroughly hard-hitting without sacrificing that essential, gritty underground atmosphere. It is a rock-solid, no-nonsense introduction that proves Abreaktion has the riffs and the hostility to keep the old-school flame burning bright.
