Let’s start with the introductions: BIOLENCE was founded in 1998 and is a Death/Thrash Metal band from Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. Their main music influences lie in the late 80's and early 90´s Metal Music scene. They could be viewed as underground veterans, as they have five studio records and more than two decades experience. But is you ask the band themselves they will tell you that BIOLENCE's natural habitat is mainly the stage, where they live up to their name and identity. This information can be found on the Bandcamp site, and it has me in a bit of a quandary, as I am asking myself how it is possible that I have not heard anything of BIOLENCE before being confronted with their latest effort “Violent Obliteration”.

I have to say that the information I found is quite accurate, as you will be transported back to the eighties and nineties with the kind of Thrash Metal play, which is sprinkled with Death Metal parts, riffs and rhythms from time to time. You will hear SLAYER, SEPULTURA, but also OBITUARY pass you by, with all their influences being used in a way that makes into quite good songs. Hardly original, but at least very inspired and enthusiastically played by BIOLENCE. This makes “Violent Obliteration” not only just an acceptable album, but also a rather nice one.

Like I mentioned, the songs are of a very good level of quality. Every tune on the album has been written, played and recorded with care. The band has obviously prepared themselves properly before they entered the studio. Everything that BIOLENCE does on "Violent Obliteration”. has a nice ring to it, the songs are well versed in changing tempo and intensity, and not once during the whole listening experience do feel that they are out of tune or out of sync. But they are also always being painted within the lines, making the appearance of surprises a very rare occasion. Not once do you feel that BIOLENCE is outdoing themselves, that they are trying to impress by trying something new. I know this will work for a lot of people, but admittedly it will also put some people off, who like a bit of adventure. I am of the latter category, and what this has done for me is make it impossible to point out any song on “Violent Obliteration” that I consider to be my favourite.