People throw the blame of creation of Groove Metal on the shoulders of PANTERA due what the band did on “Vulgar Display of Power”, but such idea isn’t completely right. The presence of Groove inside Metal is older as the genre itself, and acts as BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, AC/DC, DEEP PURPLE, LED ZEPPELIN and other already used such elements (because they came from Blues, Jazz and Gospel, the early embryonic elements of Rock ‘n’ Roll). The Texas quartet helped to define the genre’s feature, but it was already into Metal genres. And using an explosive form of the genres is CONTORTION, a North American act, as heard on the band’s third full-length, “The Common Thread”.

The sonority of the album is powerful and exacerbates the aggressiveness of the band’s music, creating a massive impact on the hearers’ ears (be careful with the volume), but one must have in mind that the band is experienced, so they got something intense and oppressive, but defined (what means that anyone can understand what’s being played). And as guests, here are Heidi Shepherd (of BUTCHER BABIES), Brian Sheerin, Matt Wannamaker (of MOWER), Christie Smirl, Belisario Dimuzio (of CATTLE DECAPITATION and EUKARYST), Henry Sanchez (of BRUJERIA and SANGRE), and Marcelo Barbosa (of ANGRA) to give a different taste to the album.

The band works on an extreme mix between Groove Thrash Metal, Hardcore and Groove Death Metal (especially due the low tuned grunts of Brian), always intense and nasty, but always filled with very good extreme hooks, and rich on nasty arrangements. But once more: it’s brutal and tear apart the eardrums of the non-used fans. But for those that are in Metal for aggressiveness, this album was done for you.

After 10 years since the release of their EP “False Flag Paradigm”, one could think that the quartet could be ‘rusty’, and it’s not the case. Moments as “Among the Stars” (aggressive and filled with bombastic drumming and bass playing, with clean vocals appearing and tempering things), “For Want of a Nail” (where the abrasive groove parts on the guitars can be heard clearly), “I Am No One” (another massive onslaught of aggressiveness, with bass guitar and drums imposing a heavy artillery on the ears, but some lovely melodic leads on the guitars can be heard), “Anti Virus” (where some North American Hardcore traces can be heard clearly), “Failure’s Not an Option” (very good broken rhythms, and energy flows from the speakers), “Evolve” (with some clean vocals using Gothic Rock tunes) and “No Destination” will that the quartet is back for the attack!

Maybe “The Common Thread” works as a statement that the quartet is back, and it’s truly good to have a band as CONTORTION in activity.