MASSACRA

Today they are almost forgotten, and that is hardly fair. Indeed, the French metal scene is virtually unrepresented by a single band that is truly well-known beyond France's borders. Thrashers MASSACRA formed back in 1986 in the tiny town of Franconville near Paris. After three demo recordings, in February 1990 they delivered the album "Final Holocaust," released on the German label Shark Records. A certain monotony, insufficient heaviness of sound, the general rhythmic feel of the compositions, and predictable riffs make it impossible to call this work death metal — it is still thrash, albeit in its most extreme manifestation. In some ways it recalls the early albums of KREATOR. One can only slap on the thrash-death label and leave it at that. Drawing direct analogies with anyone else proves difficult. High-speed passages give way to slow, tense riffs, over which blazingly fast and quite respectable guitar solos are layered. The vocals are a growl that isn't particularly low but doesn't cross into shrieking either, not especially original, partially reminiscent of Vincent from MORBID ANGEL and at times Walker from CARCASS. Overall it's a solid effort despite the ever-present sense that this record is clearly the band's first attempt. This reissue also includes the complete 1989 demo, consisting of three songs, all of which appear on the album as well. The demo is interesting primarily because it contains even less death metal influence, the drum parts (one of the album's main strengths) are considerably simpler, and the compositions are longer than on the album. It holds no great musical value in itself but rather shows how the band developed.