Gutterman
I hand picked this one. I was presented with a list of albums to review and Chokehold made my shortlist for two reasons. The first was that I reviewed their debut album, and the second was the natural curiosity on how they have developed from that disc, most notably their hand picked tour with Saxon. Anyone who’s read my review for their debut album, ‘The Killing Has Begun’, would know that it failed to impress in almost every department. Given their nationality, I was itching to hear how the band had progressed, if at all. The omens weren’t boding well for ‘The Sweet Sense Of Genocide’. The album was completed last year and the band had been supporting it regardless of it not being released. Chokehold has since made the album available for download via their website. As well as a personnel shuffle, which can sometimes make or break a band, Chokehold has had the determination to carry on. And thank god they have because their new album, although not perfect, is a vast improvement on their debut to the point where it’s a crying shame that this album wasn’t released last year. If they were Scandinavian they’d be signed, supported and opening up for Testament (that’s what you get for being Brits.)
The improvements made by the band are astonishing. Similar to the point I raised in the review of Hydrogyn, Chokehold sounded like a band signed too early before they’ve managed to develop, carve their own niche and grow as song-writers. Given that ‘The Sweet Sense Of Genocide’ was recorded soon after their debut suggests the band are improving at an incredible rate. But lets not get ahead of ourselves here. ‘The Sweet Sense Of Genocide’ is British Thrash and not without its problems, but from what I heard first time round, their future is a promising one.
First of all the production is in a different league. It's not on par with Andy Sneap, but its raw, and gets the music across to the point that the head nods and the foot taps with frightening regularity. Secondly, the songs are…well, better is the only way to describe it. 'Life On Loan' is a respectable opening tune, but it's 'Blindfolded,' and it's bass groove that really helps this disc shine. Chokehold have taken bits of Metallica, Pantera and Corrosion Of Conformity and moulded it with their own style. It doesn't work every time but when it does ‘The Sweet Sense Of Genocide’ can demonstrate as to why thrash is loved so much. A big improvement has been made in the vocal department where they are more sung and growled than screamed and shouted. This gives the songs a little more individuality and allows the vocal hooks to come through.
The bottom line is the band has improved in every aspect. Better songs, better sounds, better hooks, better riffs, everything is just better. If the band continues to improve at this current rate, I can't wait to hear their next output. With the likes of Evile cornering the heads down thrash market, Chokehold could, if this album is a blueprint, grab that groove style thrash niche. They'll have to do it quick though, I guess it'll be down to writing, recording and good old fashioned graft. Good luck.