Brazilian thrashers Scars are one of those bands who’ve been knocking around for ages, but rarely manage to get any official releases out. They formed back in 1991 but called it a day seven years later with no more than a split CD to their name. Since then, they’ve reformed twice; in 2004 and again in 2018. In all that time, they’ve only brought out one full length album – 2008’s ‘Devilgod Alliance’ – and with major success eluding them thus far, it sadly seems unlikely that ‘Predatory’ will change that.
To put it bluntly, ‘Predatory’ isn’t very good. Clocking in at a full hour, it’s an overlong and dull listen, totally devoid of memorable songs. Worse, it’s actually rather annoying at times. Singer Andre Guilger has a voice that could be described as “distinctive” if you’re feeling generous, or “infuriating” if you aren’t. It’s high pitched and theatrical and his more aggressive tones simply don’t work. Even when the rest of the musicianship is on point, his performance is distinctly off-putting.
It’d be unfair to lay the blame squarely on him though as even if he were a phenomenal talent, ‘Predatory’ wouldn’t stand up. There’s a distinct lack of memorable moments and each song blurs together into one lengthy, tedious barrage of thrash riffs. Five of these eleven cuts reach the six-minute mark and you’ll find yourself tapping your fingers, waiting for each to end in the vain hope that the next one will be better. But sadly, they’re not.
Curiously, the two strongest offerings on here aren’t even part of the official track list. ‘Armageddon’ and ‘Silent Force’ were released as standalone singles prior to this release and are included as bonus tracks. The former is an energetic old school thrasher with some particularly impressive drum work, while the latter starts with a well-executed intro before turning into a competent headbanger. Neither of these songs are instant classics, but they are noticeably better than the rest of the album.
They aren’t enough to save ‘Predatory’ from being a drawn-out and monochromatic record. When thrash is boring you know that something has gone wrong but ultimately, there’s a reason why Scars haven’t set the world alight. There’s nothing here that’ll make committed thrashers want to put it on in place of their Exodus or Testament records and two semi-decent bonus tracks do not make a quality listening experience.
- ‘Predatory’ is released today (Friday 7 August). You can get your copy HERE.
- All content © Über Rock. Not to be reproduced in part or in whole without the express written permission of Über Rock.