Review: “Left For Dead” by Homicide

Formed in Montreal Quebec Canada in the early 1990’s Homicide were born from an amalgamation of members of other bands on the scene with strong reputations. Lead Guitarist and Vocalist Gab Morency had done a stint in Corrupted Youth and Lead Guitarist Bryan Donahue likewise in Damaged before they began writing together and when Lizard rhythm section Greg Mclary (Bass Guitar) and Scotty MacCulloch (Drums) heard what the axe wielding duo had to offer, they signed up. Together they completed a debut album entitled “Malice and Forethought” with crowd pleasers such as “Bring Back the Rope” about lax capitol punishment policies and “Death Train” which gives a nod to the devastation of terrorism in the poison gassing of a Japanese subway line. They specialize in Old School Crossover Thrash and returning nearly 25 years later with their sophomore album “Left For Dead” they clearly have some unfinished business.

“Scourge of God” gets things off to a fine start a is a reminder of just how good the storytelling style of Morency is as he delivers a tale of the wrath of God. Mid tempo evil chugs keep things going nicely and the riffs pay homage to the Bay Area Thrash scene with a nostalgic tooth gap grin while that whammy bar drop is a nice touch. It’s one of those tracks that cuts at a point when it could happily go on for another few minutes and that’s always the hall mark of quality. Taking the melodic atmospheric route before kicking in full throttle after a couple of minutes of build up “Enemy Of The State” then goes full on Municipal Waste as Morency rants and raves about the Government making up conspiracy theories to cover up their actions. It’s a classic headbanger of a cut with short bursts of solo work to keep you on your toes. Increasing the tempo with “Point Blank Range” which is a classic driving song of raw sounding old school riffs and some more solos. Who said the solo was dead? They lied. The lyrics maybe simple enough but they’re crowd fodder for chanting and will go down a storm in that regard. “Shot To Hell” could have been the opening track on “Left For Dead” with it’s fist pumping attitude and raging riffs. A track about gambling addition leading to drinking and depression, it’s a powerhouse that points the finger and pity’s the fool while acting as a warning shot at the same time.
The drum sound throughout the album maybe raw and perhaps of demo quality but that adds to it’s charm and in “Scorched Earth” it’s perhaps more noticeable. Sarcasm and tongue in cheek humor is dropped in favor of a frantic and frenetic riff attack. A tale of the end of days with Nuclear blasts and their fallout wiping out humanity, it’s a fierce rager that the likes of Road Mutant will take as inspiration from these older heads. Title track “Left For Dead” is perhaps a reference to the bands absence for the last 25 years with lyrical references to a phoenix rising from the ashes, it makes best use of staccato riffs and jack hammer footwork to get its message across while the evil laughter in the fade will crack a smile on the face of even the most hardened of Metal Heads. This is gonna be a fast one… “Nightmares Of The Apocalypse” rips through like a tornado of destruction as it forewarns of a black future at breakneck speed. Who needs a neck? Get in the pit! [7.5/10]

Track listing

1. Scourge of God 05:43
2. Enemy Of The State 05:06
3. Point Blank Range 04:15
4. Shot To Hell 04:43
5. Scorched Earth 03:45
6. Left For Dead 04:15
7. Nightmares Of The Apocalypse 02:28

“Left For Dead” by Homicide is out now and available over at bandcamp