Raunchy like few others knows how to combine the really brutal with the really beautiful. And make it work. Much like Fear Factory in their early days the Danish metal outfit adds keyboards, almost dance-like rhythms and melodic choruses to the traditional thrash metal mixture of loud guitars, loud drums and loud vocals. Except they have taken the formula a bit further than Fear Factory.

Listen to a track like ‘The Bash’: The verse is an inferno of thundering bass drums, sneering guitars and frontman Kasper Thomsen’s screaming voice which makes the experience quite similar to getting your eardrums banged on with a stick. With nails in it. Then comes the chorus, instantly sing-a-long-like, keyboard-heavy and so pop that it would make Jon Bon Jovi green with envy.

This may all sound quite gimmicky but it’s not. Raunchy know what they are doing and have done it since their first album, ‘Velvet Noise’ (2001), constantly ignoring the trends of the moment. In fact they are so good at what they are doing, that they even make a cover version of Rockwell’s 80s hit ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ work!

Even though metal purists might not like the pop qualities of ‘Wasteland Discoteque’ no one can put a finger on the craftsmanship. Least of all on the production which is handled masterfully by metal guru Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Hatesphere, Mnemic, Illdisposed and many more).

Genre: Melodic thrash metal
Who: Raunchy
Title: Wasteland Discoteque
Label: Lifeforce/Target Distribution
Year: 2008
Country: Denmark
Language: English
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Recommended tracks:
The Bash – A Heavy Burden – Wasteland Discoteque – Somebody’s Watching Me