Now, I've got close relatives from New Jersey, so when I heard that I was to be reviewing a Prog/Thrash Metal group from The Garden State, I was pretty excited. VOODOO TERROR TRIBE is quite honestly one of the most brutal band names I've ever heard, but what really drew me to their work at least at first was their connection to another one of my old favorite groups, ILL NIÑO. ILL NIÑO's front man, Cristian Machado, saw fit to help produce the band's 2016 release of "The Sun Shines Cold". Since someone as talented and infamous in the Metal world as Machado approved of their album, I had high hopes. VOODOO TERROR TRIBE was founded in 2005, when they released their first EP "Mandala" and since then have produced three full-length albums and two other EP's to boot. Over the span of 12 years, the group's sound has evolved from raw, chugging Thrash to a more polished and diverse repertoire of Progressive Metal and haunting Industrial melodies.

The introductory song, "Lady in the Wall", opens with a melancholy blend of acoustic guitar and Zastor's whispering, ethereal vocals. It soon breaks into a wailing, heavy riff and strong guitar-dominated melody. Zastor has an amazing voice. His range is frankly one of the best I've heard and his singing is full of real passion and power. The stuttering riffs and barrage of drumbeats weave together perfectly to create a compelling and enticing example of Prog Metal power. "City of Sixes" starts right off with a relentless earworm of machine gun drums and takes the listener on a journey culminating in an undoubtedly catchy chorus. The electric, almost Bluesy guitar riffs cut through the background instruments and add variety to an otherwise obvious example of pure Thrash.

"Burn More Bridges" begins with an orchestral track which flows behind a slightly discordant and eerie guitar riff and Zastor's powerful lead vocals. This song takes on a slightly slower feel than its two precursors, and I kind of wish that there had been more complex riffs and more variety in the drum track to keep the listener's attention. However, it's technically flawless and showcases the raw talent of the band without distortion. "Cell" has a slight Industrial feel, which I was thrilled to hear. I'm a huge sucker for Industrial Metal, and their particular fusion of Thrash and Industrial here is just magical. The drums take more of a central role here; T-Bone has a real feel for rhythm and speed drumming and the decision to capitalize on this here was a brilliant one. The distortion on the guitar and a heavier bass riff help to elevate this track further and give it more of a dark tone.

"No Hell Like Home" has got to be my personal favorite on this album. It's got a swinging, bass-heavy riff that dominates the song and crashes its way into one of the catchiest choruses I've ever heard. Zastor's voice goes from Classic Rock to Thrash Metal growls in a heartbeat, and the steady rhythm of the drums combined with the subtle synth in the background give the track a complexity and diversity that make it stand out from the crowd. "Edge of Within" makes use of a haunting acoustic riff in the intro combined with Zastor's emotionally-charged and layered vocals to create a spine-tingling ballad that travels outside VOODOO TERROR TRIBE's normal Thrash repertoire. The guitars and drums are muted, simplified and relinquish their starring role to a symphonic-sounding synthesizer in the background which rounds out the track's melancholy tone.

"Night Wolf" builds suspense with a whispering intro, then roars to life with a dies-irae sounding riff. This song is a head-bangingly heavy masterpiece of Thrash, and injects just a hint of Death Metal influence in the vocals and chugging bass riffs. The drums in this track are spectacular, and any gaps in the track are filled out with a barrage of swirling keyboard riffs. Now, this next song had me elated. I'm a huge RAMMSTEIN fangirl, and I would be embarrassed if I didn't recognize a cover of their song "Pussy" when I heard it. To be fair, this can't compare to RAMMSTEIN's rendition of possibly one of the creepiest metal songs ever, but it's still a pretty good runner-up. Zastor's voice works well, and has the same power that makes Till Lindemann such a legendary metal vocalist. I do like the breakdown around 2:30, but I wish that the group had done a little more to make the song their own, since it's very similar in style to the RAMMSTEIN original.

"Die to the Din of the Drums", despite the alliteration, is a pounding metal anthem that involves lots of chanting "Die, die." The intermittent guitar riffs provide a rhythmic background and allow the bass riff to shine through for the first time. The drums combined with Erkal's wailing and impressive guitar solo make for one hell of a track, if I say so myself. "Under the Knife", the last track, starts with a good amount of Zastor's eerie whisper-growling and then tears into a syncopated and rhythmic groove of guitar, bass and drums. The chorus stars his melodic vocals layered on top of heavier growling, and the drums and bass take the lead in this song in order to draw the listener into its undertone and create a mind-blowingly catchy and technically perfect track.

Overall, VOODOO TERROR TRIBE is a professional, multi-talented, and diverse band that deserves far more recognition than they have. Each one of their songs is a technical masterpiece, and if you make the smart decision to listen to "The Sun Shining Cold", I guarantee you won't be disappointed.