6th July 2024

Review: “48 Hours ’til Termination” by Electrocutioner (3rd Anniversary)

The debut EP “48 Hours ‘Til Termination” from Long Island New York Thrash trio Electrocutioner takes it’s name from the fact that all six cuts were recorded in the true spirit of the genre, in a 48 hour race to the death. Inspired by a mutual love of 80’s dystopian films and fuelled by the insular trappings of the Great Plague years, it finds bassist Rich S. Nieves, drummer Mac Hollywood and guitarist and vocalist Mark Pursino on the prowl…

Sounding like it was stolen from the demo archive of creations for the soundtrack from any John Carpenter directed movie from the 1980’s, “48 Hours ’til Termination” the warning signal that you need to brace for impact. While the introduction piece didn’t give anything away about the quality of the recording, the first track proper does, exposing a raw just above demo quality that was once the the staple of denim wearing tape trading Metal heads. It’s far from a single microphone recording, the record actually sounds like it’s been recorded live from the floor, which gives it bags of charm as it’s only really the drum sound that is a potential issue. One of those songs that leaves you questioning if the band was named after the song or vice versa, “Electrocutioner” is a full on Speed Thrash adrenaline rush from start to finish. Riffs fly like bullets screaming across the night sky towards their target with Mark Pursino delivering a barked tale of New York after an atomic bomb drop and war on the streets. After that vicious pace setter “Terminal Simulation” takes the baton with consummate ease at a solid gallop, a face melting warped sounding solo showing some bravado. There are a couple of lead parts that don’t feel like they’ve been caught quite right but the attitude and approach is there for all to witness, boding very well for future recordings and live shows.

Pursino’s voice approach those you might expect from a Death Metal vocalist at times with “Under the Microscope” being a great example. They’re unclean but you can hear every word, which is essential in conveying the lyrical themes that run through the beating black heart of the record. The energy of these cuts is insane with fierce and frenetic qualities that bring back essence of what those early days of Thrash were all about. A bass solo from Rich Nieves for “Lost In the Hero’s Fog” is a nice touch, a haunting atmospheric piece that ensures that “Vampire’s Kiss” is set up to burn the place down while paying homage to Cliff Burton in the best possible way. “I spill the blood, Feed the greed (need), Spreading Evil!” makes for a mighty fine gang chant-able chorus for this final furious head-bangable riff fest and do you know what? It would be fantastic to hear these cuts re-recorded with Joel Grind of Toxic Holocaust at the boards because there is so much untapped potential here… [7/10]

Track Listing