Two years after releasing their previous album Overture to Madness, metal titans AXEMASTER are back with their new release Crawling Chaos. The first thing one notices about the album is the distinctive cover, which features what looks like Cthulhu destroying a city as people flee, very appropriate.
The album begins with 10,000 Pound Hammer, a slow drudge filled song that is ground shakingly heavy and evokes memories of early Sabbath. A fitting opener. The title track Crawling Chaos follows, with a unique fade intro and bass opening, before moving into drilling guitars that follow a pointed rhythm , the vocals of Geoff McGraw are ferocious on this track, up there with the masters. Axes of Evil begins with a haunting shred in a minor key, before moving into a quick paced rhythm that makes the head move and images of all kinds of crazy stuff flit through the mind, the tolling of the bell in the song adds to the imagery. Flowers For The Dead, starts with a bass intro, creating an eerie and sinister feel, before moving into a solid thunder of riffs and snarling vocals, that provide the base of thought provoking lyrical content. Mystify The Dream Hypnotic is an instrumental track that adds a nice break between the heaviness of the album, chilling track, it makes the listener think and really admire the artwork.
Aldar Rof is the next song on the record, coming after the chilling Mystify, it brings an apocalyptic theme to things, with a Maiden style galloping riff that really makes the song a bone chilling song and a potential hit with the crowds around the world. Shallow Grave starts slowly, acoustic and distorted lead, providing inclination toward thoughtfulness, heaviness kicks in with the riffs before the speed picks up toward the ending, soaring vocals from McGraw make this a real favourite. Death Before Dishonour contains what appears to be a military theme, holding true to oneself seems to be the theme of the song and ensuring that it remains present throughout one’s life. Bravado is a thudding charger of a song that demands the listener stand for what is right and just. Knight of Pain is the final track in the album, heaviness abounds, a real headbanger that will get crowds moving when performed live.
Crawling Chaos is an interesting album, it requires one to pay attention for there are themes explored here that could well come up again. It is an album that is different in texture and composition to other albums released this year. I give it a solid 9/10.