Death Control, hailing from Lille in France have only been around for a handful of years. Forming in 2013 and their self-titled debut E.P following in 2015, the thrash-death outfit gained some recognition and have since pushed on, releasing their full length debut album earlier this year; ‘Awaiting Us All’. The five piece, with some serious weight behind their sound seem to bring some intensity with their sound, so let’s see what they’re waiting for.

And the answer is riffs. To be exact, a whole load of riffs!

Whether they lean more towards the thrashier edge of the spectrum or have the sheer aggression of the death metal side, the guitars clearly dictate what lies in wait on this recording. Obligatory nonsensical intro track aside, “The Beast” is the first actual track of substance and it certainly lives up to its name. The onslaught of pounding riffs which has some remarkable similarities to The Haunted in terms of the raw power and sound behind them is great and the groove underpinning it all, combined with the roaring vocals and low end fury is a great take on the thrash-death crossover regions.

This is a trend which continues throughout the release. Track after track of uncompromising riffs. “Absurd Massacre” brings some harsh death metal fortitude to the table with its rapidfire onslaught of guitar riffs and blastbeats which demand gratuitous windmill headbanging and the follow up, “Exhume To Perfume” has classic thrash goodness oozing out of it.

It’s not just pace and heaviness which make up this record. “Satisfy Your Urges” has some incredible groove elements underneath it with its rumbling guitars and tremendously heavy low end and wailing harmonics whilst “Omnipresence Companion” has the potential to be a neck wrecker with its headbanging pulse and furious delivery, every vocal roar laced with anger and intent. Closing track, “Cobaye 77″ has a sinister feel to it and with its translation from French to English as ‘Guinea Pig”, it suggests themes of experimentation. Musically, it hits hard, much like the rest of the album before it and the focus on the crushing riffs and sinister melodies, it certainly closes off this intense album.

Clocking in at under 40 minutes, it has replay value and the intensity and aggression of the music doesn’t lose the edge it has over subsequent listens. Though it is heavy and riff laden, it does feel rather familiar after a few listens and at times the tracks tend to merge into one, giving it a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ feel. Still, this being said, like many acts on Great Dane Records, Death control’s tightly controlled death-thrash aggression is well delivered and for a debut full length, it is impressive. Keep an eye out for these guys in the future!

(7/10 Fraggle)

https://www.facebook.com/deathcontrolband

https://greatdanerecords.bandcamp.com/album/awaiting-us-all