Germany has a long tradition in Thrash/Death Metal. Albums as “Endless Pain”, “Pleasure to Kill”, “Obsessed by Cruelty”, “Persecution Many”, “Infernal Overkill” and others are seminal for the genre, because German Thrash Metal School has roots on Black Metal (mainly VENOM, who had an immense impact on the scene back then due the success of “Welcome to Hell” and “Black Metal” on the underground scene), so it’s more aggressive than what is shown on North American School (please, SLAYER is a total different case). The formula is there, and was rediscovered as Old School Metal ways were used again since the second half of the 90s. And as a heir of such load here is the German quintet BOUNDLESS CHAOS that after an EP and two Splits comes with its first full-length, “Sinister Upheaval”.

Thomas Conrad made the sound engineering, and shared the production duties with the drummer M.F. at Stereoid Studios, Saxony in 2023. The mixing and mastering were done by the hands of Ekaitz Garmendia at BlackStorm Studios, Basque Country in 2023. It is rough and nasty, done with a simple outfit (maybe a way to do things in the most organic form possible); but on the other hand things are defined and done with care, as an updated form of doing what was done in the past that fits on the band’s music. The cover is as simple as it can be: a work done on black and white by the bands of the band’s vocalist E.M., and as guest vocals in “Guillotine” is Malte Gericke (of OF RA AL DEE EXPERIENCE, SIJJIN and VALE OF SIDDIM).

Musically, the band works on an Old School Thrash/Death Metal way with the German DNA (where some influences from JUDAS PRIEST, MOTÖRHEAD and NWOBHM can be heard into the inner sanctum of the band’s music), what means that the quintet’s music is aggressive and full of energy, but with care on the arrangements (without being something complex, but creating something that isn’t a ‘one-rhythmic-way’ thing). It’s, brutal, heavy and refined, and the band is really showing great potential to be a pillar for the genre in a near future.

On the songs: it’s hard to choose a set of ‘the best ones’, because the quintet depicts an homogeneous and spontaneous work in all of them. But a first time on “Sinister Upheaval”, one can taste “Down” (a pure Thrash/Death Metal song in the German vein, based on a heavy set of guitar riffs and arrangements), “High Tension” (excellent rhythmic contrasts, with bass guitar and drums giving the right weight for the song with a very good technique), “Arson from Beyond” (the influences of SODOM and DESTRUCTION can be heard clearly on the guitars arrangements, and the vocals are really doing a very good work), “Kromer’s Whistle” (it’s impossible to resist to its brutal appeal), “Tyrant’s Call” (a shorter song where MOTÖRHEAD and Hardcore influences can be heard on the hooks), and “Rip out the Roots”, and feel how these guys are really excellent.

Maybe some adjusts on the vocals (it’s not a critic and I’m not saying to change the vocalist, but E.M. has such a good voice that enables him to use more tunes than he showed on the album), and BOUNDLESS CHAOS will take over the scene by assault. Until then, “Sinister Upheaval” is a great release, and it’s an old Metalhead that is stating such thing.