Description
Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Formed in: 1997
Fourwaykill – 24 Hours to Die
Type: EP
Release date: 2004
Format: CD PROMO
1. 24 Hours to Die 03:40 Show lyrics
2. Tappin’ the Vein 03:00
3. Removing Face 03:53
4. Disipline 02:06
A Brutal Fist in the Face. – 96%
More than anything else, the surprises in metal are what keep it so vitalised, so vital to music. Those special albums and bands that are the exception to the cliché, the deviation from the norm, however you want to put it – these are the things that remind you why you got into metal in the first place, and why you dedicated your dirty little life to it’s glory.
Fourwaykill, my metallic cohorts, are one such shock to the system. You hear the words ‘groove metal’ appropriated to them and instantly the words ‘Pantera rip-off’ pop up in your mind, pretty much automatically and of their own volition. But you are wise to discard such an impression upon hearing Fourwaykill.
Because this is a band who could eat every groove metal band on the planet as a bar snack.
Crashing into the title track ’24 Hours To Die’ without wasting a moment, the band take every preconception the listener has of the groove sound and lobs it out the window, instead tying the down n dirty approach to an unrelenting brutality and creating something quite special in the process. Each and every song on the EP transfixes the attention throughout, all the while urging your head to bang harder than you’ve ever made it before.
With cues taken less from Pantera and more from the death ‘n roll glory days of one-time tour mates Entombed, the band barely pause for breath – guitarist Jay’s playing in particular is a wonder to listen to, with riff after caustic riff wrenched out of his guitar with deadly, bludgeoning force and a disgustingly rough guitar tone, best exemplified on face-ripper tracks ‘Removing Face’ and ‘Dusted’.
The backing rhythm section is just as enjoyable to hear; Rob Hicks is a drummer of brutal precision, never overdoing the fills (something of a relief considering that his drums are a tad overproduced) but keeping everything moving fast and furious. Meanwhile, Podge’s bass rings out clearly throughout the EP, a dirty, reverberating tone that comes into it’s own on the intro to ‘Reclamation Rite’
Singer Chris Neighbour, however, is the jewel in the blood-stained crown. Much is made nowadays of Randy Blythe’s half-sung, half-growled vocals; Chris makes Blythe sound amateur in comparison, utilising a vocal approach that allows every word to ring out clearly whilst never sacrificing the throat-shredding aggression or intent – his introductory war cry is the fist-raising highlight of the almighty track ‘Deadweight’, the fastest, heaviest and most goddamn-EVIL track to be found.
Rare is the day that you find such a brutally compelling slice of sheer aggression and undiluted might from a genre that has spent the last few years doing nothing less than stagnating. So like I said before – the surprises are what make metal great.
And this is truly, bloody, undeniably GREAT.
24 Hours To Die –
When reviewing Fourwaykill, it would be unjust not to inform people that this is the band to see live, as anyone who has already had this pleasure / assault will confirm. Having seen them live before I heard any studio material, this EP did, at first, sound comparatively weak and tame. However, if you can separate the live experience from the studio and listen to this release on its own merits then you’ll find not only a healthy dose of brutality, but also some surprisingly skilful song writing.
The title track doubles up as both the album opener and the first single from this EP, and despite being relentlessly heavy and violent, it has a more commercially friendly feel to it than the rest of the EP, as if it was deliberately written to be a single. This is an observation rather than a criticism, though, as it is a fantastic song and an absolute anthem in the live arena.
Next two songs ‘Discipline’ and ‘Removing Face’ are definite highlights, ‘Discipline’ being a two – minute blast of senseless violence (with it’s fantastic refrain of “look at me when I’m punishing you”) and ‘Removing Face’ being slightly longer, and more controlled, but no less furious.
The other song that stands out (and is my personal favourite) is ‘Deadweight’, where Chris Neighbour spits out “You are the thorns in my crown, and you weigh me down” before the song crashes into a fantastic opening riff reminiscent of Dimebag (RIP) during the Vulgar Display Of Power era. The band shred their way through the first part of the song before relaxing slightly into a melodic break that really shows off the band’s mature approach to song writing. Indeed, throughout the EP it is Fourwaykill’s impressive grasp of dynamics and song structuring that makes this band really special. This more than fills the gap left by Pantera (Damageplan being so poor it was embarrassing).
