7th October 2023

Review: “Medusa” by Enemynside

Originally formed back in 1994 as Scapegoat, Italian Thrash ‘n Heavy mob Enemynside were rebranded in 1999. In 2009 they toured Scandinavia with Blaze Bayley, in 2012 they debuted in the USA, or more recently they have shared stages with Behemoth, Angelus Apatrida or Flotsam And Jetsam across Europe. 2023 marks the 20th Anniversary of their debut album “Let The Madness Begin…“ and adorned by cover artwork from Dave E Dee that ties in with that of the record as a tasteful re-imagining, the band have re-recorded four songs from it. “Medusa” was recorded in two separate studios before being mastered at The Parlour Studio (Raging Speedhorn, Napalm Death, Evile) and will of course benefit from modern production values and improvements in equipment and recording techniques. It should be mentioned that only vocalist and guitarist Francesco Cremisini and guitarist Matt Belezza remain in the band since the original recording took place. In 2017 bassist Andrea Pistone and drummer Fabio Migliori joined the outfit and they perform the parts originally executed by Alberto Sempreboni and Luca Iovieno…

Re-recordings can be contentious as, let’s face it, if the original was worth it’s salt, why repeat it? It’s also risk because if you fail to capture the energy of the original then it’s going to be a train wreck. Some have conquered when those choosing to do this, others have fallen flat. Fortunately Enemynside have tossed the coin and called heads, which is just how it has landed as the opening strains of “Stone Cold Dead” confirm. Two decades of performing these songs live have given the opening cut a new found power and it feels rejuvenated in 2023 with a fresh injection of adrenaline as a Thrash masterclass with Cremisini sounding like he’s going to burst into a rendition of “Master Of Puppets” by Metallica at any point. The mix allows the bass to bleed in just a little, giving the cut that modern and yet old school vibe while the solo in the final third is nothing short of pure class. “Bad Junks” flies out of the gate like a dungeon whippet chasing a demonic rabbit down the dog track, the powerful chorus retaining that sing-a-long ability of the original. The drum sound is really good here, everything sounding clean and crisp as the classic Thrash riffs fly in all directions with a nostalgic look back to the Bay Area scene in the 1980’s which clearly influenced it. The incendiary assault that is “Disciple Of Death” maintains the quality and flow of the record confirming how well chosen these cuts were for a makeover as they sit very well together as if that was how they were originally intended to be. Ironically the opening cut from the original record becomes the closer here as “Suddenly Mad” reminds of Anthrax with it’s classic look and feel. It has to be said that the solo is not only nailed to perfection but has never sounded better with a flamboyance that is rarely heard in the genre. So here we have a prime example of a set of re-recorded tracks done the right way, faithful to the originals and benefiting from the modern production values so they will appeal to fans old and new [8/10]

Track Listing