SOUL FACTOR- Resurgence of Chaos (Remastered)
Brazil's Soul Factor have been wrecking necks since 1998, but in those 2 decades plus, the death metal dealers have only doled out 2 full lengths- 2003's Timeline and 2012's Resurgence of Chaos. Soul Factor recently inked a deal with Vision of God Records, and while preparing for a long anticipated new album, VOG reissued and remastered the band's last release. The remastering process shows in the final product here. The axework is sharpened up and brought to the forefront, leaving you standing dumbstruck on the tracks watching the freight train speeding down the tracks straight for you, but unable to move. The guitarist is locked in tight with the drummer's double bass and cymbal action- again sharpened by the remastering so that every note rings clear as a bell. Daniel Martins belts out his low, discernable, but almost hoarse sounding death metal growls with authority over this organized chaos. Hear his final scream closing out the song "Corrupted Mind." The temptation is to invoke Sepultura as an influence on any extreme band coming out of Brazil, but honestly, Soul Factor has more in common with the best tendencies of Mortification or Living Sacrifice. The band's death metal is steeped heavily in thrash, and they easily could have fit in with the early 90's era when thrash was giving way to death metal. Think more the power of Living Sacrifice or Sacrament, and less the technicality of Tourniquet or Believer, whether they're playing fast and furious or slow and bone crushingly heavy. Yet the sound remains timeless, as well as the message, which is biblically based, with each song having a corresponding verse that inspired the lyrics, which cover topics like drug abuse- "Insane Trip," being Spirit-led- "War Machines," or the danger of dabbling in the occult- "Diabolical Jokes." "Hate" brings a different texture, with Martins sharing vocals with Hellen Priscilla Pego's clean vocals for a beauty vs. brutality study in contrasts. From the intro "Voices" to the bonus track "Mortal," this new version of Resurgence of Chaos indoctrinates a whole new swath of fans to the classic slab of molten metal as we anxiously await new product. A mandatory headbang! (Vision of God Records) - 4 Out of 5 Stars
