Rebels Mother - Sanctify (2000)
This 3 piece band from California has released another no holds barred metal album. There is evidence of influences from thrash masters such as Testament and Tourniquet on here but the sound of Rebel's Mother is a bit more modern and not quite as tight (sometimes sounding like a live jam session). Massive crunch guitars with tasteful leads and lots of low end groove fill this cd. The guitar melodies and leads on here are great! There are also some tracks that showcase a double picking attack on the guitar and sound quite mean. Other tracks include keyboards and sound very pogressive and dark (ie: "Sanctify"). There are some great and varied drum sounds and percussion work here. The vocals, which I believe are dual vocals utilizing two band members on some tracks, vary from low guttural death tones to mid-range clear but stay in a mostly mid-harsh sound similar to that of Luke Easter from Tourniquet or Ron Rinehart from Oil. I also hear some moments of Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) style in the vocals. Overall I am impressed with this offering of modern thrash. I do however think the right producer could pull even more talent out of this already talented band. The production is good and the sonics are crisp. The lyrics are bold for the Lord and the artwork, layout and packaging are all very well done also. This is something I would recommend to fans of Oil and Eternal Decision. -- Review by Norm