Pyre - Totalitarian CD-r Review

Add Your Review

2007-11-03 : Warmonger
(Black Terror Metal, Italy)
[Translated from Italian] This is a good band from the USA, they already had a cool cd a couple of years ago with their debut on the italian black blood. Today they're back, with the same aggressive and hateful style, with 'Totalitarian', a cold, uncompromising MCD. USA yes, USA no, some define it as a young scene devoid of any personality, which just takes in a bad way what the Norwegians did years ago; some instead look at it as fertile and interesting, worth of consideration and among the best in the world. Truth, as always is in the middle: if it's true that the only thing Pyre have of the USA is the provenience (because that's true norwegian black metal we're talking about), it's also true that their music works and can evoke atmospheres that many norwegians cannot do nowadays. If you love the old school you'll love this band , the boys hit it hard and rough. Their evil power works and they can convey feelings, even if they are nothing new. There are some attempts at variations: some tracks are more depressive-oriented', others very aggressive and fast, others more thrashing (just listen to the roaring title track). Without too many words, 'Totalitarian' is pure unadulterated black metal.
2007-11-03 : Anonymous Coward
(Wheresmyskin Zine, United States)
From fuggin' Hell Paso - THIS fuckin' killz - another Texas akt that has grown exponentially - fury and speed rule this release, but also midpaced tempo, and riffs reminding me of some HORNA I would say - not the groovy riffs, but the colder riffs that alternate and move much like the saw upon a perky female body. The song "The Great Malefic MMV" is one bad, bad motherfucker - reaching into the bowels of your groin and pulling it up through your HIM shirt wearin' self - the slower parts here are really drone, and give that suicidal feeling...Some XASTHURish soundin' stuff WITHOUT the vocal effects and WITHOUT the keys though - cold, dark, hateful, but not as ORGAN soundin' or fully effected... "Scrying the Dawnless Plain" - holy shit - the goddamn vile stench of death carries this mother fucker and wipes the wet slap happy skulls of xtians all over the bone covered floor - growls, horrible and fierce litter the slower, cold, melodic razor guitars within the meat of the song. A goddamn nut slicin' event it is... All the songs on this fucker hurt in some form or fashion - this is one of the best things I've heard out of Texas recently...Six songs reaching 25 minutes.
2007-09-26 : Warmonger
(Pure Holocaust Zine, Germany)
Well, this is the latest output of the band PYRE. These guys from Texas are presenting us 5 tracks for which the title “Totalitarian” just fits perfectly, because PYRE are Black Metal in its purest and most natural form. Aggression and speed are two very important aspects here but the band even refuses to play crap without any dimension. The band rather likes to play with variation and a lot of changes. This hyper-speed apocalypse is leaded through primitive but excellent riffs and it even gets more intensive when they deicide to put in some breaks with many different elements like melodic and melancholic mid-tempi parts, comprehensive “head-banging” sounds or double-bass attacks. Especially the band tries not only playing usual Black Metal songs but to surprise the listener who will sometimes not foresee in which direction the massacre of PYRE will lead. To sum up, this is a hellish cocktail made out of exciting songs which make hungry for more. About the vocals I can say that they are similar varying and they offer a lot of moods. After the 5 self composed songs we get a cover-song of SPEAR OF LONGINUS (Cosmic Devastator) for our ears and even this song fits entirely to the band. What can I say more, Vasili from Ancient Spirit Terror has proved his good taste in Black Metal with this release… I can only recommend buying one of the 300 exemplars. Price: 3 Euro + postage. Contact: Vasili Vasilopoulos, P.O. Box 104108, 44041 Dortmund, Germany. S.M.