MESSIAH hailing from Zug, Switzerland were formed in 1984. The Thrash and Death Metal outfit were active several times, and most notably from 2017 onwards. Thea released so far two EPs, six full-length albums, and two live albums. Their seventh album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by V.O. Pulver (BURNING WITCHES; DESTRUCTION; POLTERGEIST) at Little Creek Studio Switzerland. The album has a length of about 30 minutes, and it was released via German Heavy, Thrash, and Doom Metal specialists High Roller Records.

The album starts with a short, tension-building intro to “Sikhote Alin”, which is powerful and aggressive in the guitar riffing. It is a very dark track with the main melody giving a chilling atmosphere. The vocals are growls ranging from the deep to the medium end of the guttural range. A main feature of the track are the strong and crunching basslines. The opener has a lot of Death Metal vibes with some Thrash Metal twists in the riffing. The title song is a fast track during the verse and chorus parts. The melodies are spine-chilling and the aggression in the riffing from the opening track is maintained. The mid-tempo break leading to the lead guitar solo includes a few oriental vibes in the melodies. The lead guitar solo is very contributing. “Christus Hypercubus” has been released as video, and the YouTube link is provided below. “Once Upon The Time…Nothing” is a pummeling track at fast pace. The riffing is simple and direct, while the vocals lead excellently through the track with higher pitched growls during the chorus line. Highlight of the track is the lead guitar contribution. “Speed Sucker Romance” starts with an extended instrumental start led by the guitars. It is a doom-laden track at a measured tempo with blood-freezing melodies. While the aggression and darkness of the opening tracks is prevailed, “Speed Sucker Romance” provides a change in sound with a few Doom Metal vibes and some epic features in the melodies for the chorus. The track is one of the album highlights.

“Centipede Bites” is another fast track with Thrash Metal inspired tight guitar riffing. The textures of the track are very simple, especially for the chorus part. The mid-tempo break includes an excellent lead guitar solo and some head-banging parts. “Centipede Bites” is a track for the pit and will surely become a fan favorite. “Please Do Not Disturb (While I’m Dying)” is a two-minute guitar-driven interlude. “Soul Observatory” goes back to the typical album sound at mid-tempo with aggressive and tight guitar riffing and a lot of double-bass drumming. While the verse parts are straightforward, the chorus parts slow down and are almost ballad-esque. It is a weird track as the chorus parts do not really fit into the overall framework of the track. For me, “Soul Observatory” cannot really keep up with most album tracks, despite the cool verse parts.

“Acid Fish” is another fast Thrash Metal inspired track however, the opening instrumental part needs a bit of time to come to life. The riffing is tight, and the highlight of the track is the break with the extended lead guitar solo. The finale of the album is the two-parted “The Venus Baroness”. “The Venus Baroness I” is a mid-tempo track with the typical aggressive riffing and vocals. While most parts are simple and direct, there are a few more technical parts in between, where the lead guitars are the main contributor. The track diverts a bit from the classical verse/chorus/break structure in the sense that the transitions are not clean. The first part seamlessly transitions into “The Venus Baroness II”, which is a mid-tempo track at a head-banging rhythm during the verse part. The tempo slows down slightly for some parts of the track. Transitions between verse and chorus parts are again seamless. The riffing is again very direct and aggressive. The end of the track sounds a bit unfinished as the song simply fades out.

 MESSIAH deliver a good mixture of Death and Thrash Metal. “Christus Hypercubus” is a very direct and aggressive album, driven by the guitar riffing and the vocals. The lead guitars are an important part in most tracks, and they provide technicality and excellence. Another asset of “Christus Hypercubus” are the vocals, which are very distinctive, versatile, and fit perfectly to the MESSIAH album sound. The album is well produced. MESSIAH fans will be delighted with the new album and look forward to exciting live shows of MESSIAH.