GTAForums Music In Review

[Napalm Jason]

 

 

Razor - Shotgun Justice (1990), Fringe Records, Thrash Metal

 

 

Tracklisting:

1. Miami

2. United By Hatred

3. Violence Condoned

4. Electric Torture

5. Meaning Of Pain

6. Stabbed In The Back

7. Shotgun Justice

8. Parricide

9. American Luck

10. Brass Knuckles

11. Burning Bridges

12. Concussion

13. Cranial Stomp

14. The Pugilist

 

Lineup:

Bob Reid - Vocals

Dave Carlo - Guitars

Adam Carlo - Bass

Rob Mills - Drums

 

The Kneejerk Reaction:

A violent, aggressive, brutal, visceral and so insanely over the top album.

 

The Rundown:

1990 was a very bad time for metal - specifically thrash metal. Most of the bands that led the way in the genre started slowing down their music, becoming less technical, wrote much less interesting lyrics and just generally dragged the scene down to lowest pits of the likes of Pantera. Razor were Canada's answer to the underground but loyal thrash metal scene in the United States. Unfortunately, their albums were always plagued by sh*tty guitar and drum tones, goofy and laughable lyrics and an overplayed thrash metal stereotype image (leather, choppers and the whole shabang). By "Violent Restitution" in 1988, Razor had really triumphed these problems with meaty guitar tones and a replacement drummer who could keep up with Razor's evolving heaviness, (something their former drummer, M-Bro couldn't). Razor's original vocalist Stace Sheepdog McLaren had left the band, so Dave Carlo picked up Bob Reid from SFH (Samf*ckingHein) to be on the "Shotgun Justice" album. Most of the songs were tweaked from "Violent Restitution" to cater to his raspy, gruff, pissed off yelling that was an unlikely character of Stace McLaren. Dave Carlo was pissed off with where the thrash metal scene was going and so he put towards his next album with Razor, "Shotgun Justice" to just show his former friends just how pissed off he was.

 

I believe they got the message quite clearly. What we have here folks is a timeless classic. There are no long, winding intros, no pointless interludes, no melody whatsoever, no atmospheric solos and zero passive drumming. By the opening shotgun blast of 'Miami' to the ending "live fast / die young" of 'The Pugilist', Razor will have strapped you down to a chair, beat the sh*t out of you and thrown you to the ground for sh*ts and giggles.

 

Every song on here moves fast - very fast. Bob Reid's vocals do the perfect trick of getting Dave Carlo's pissed off attitude across to the listener efficiently and without hesitation. Bob's vocals are very gruff, rough, raspy and sure as hell yells a sh*tload here. He does a great job at spitting lyrics out like a damn machine gun and never falters. Rob Mills drums are among the fastest he's ever produced, even more so than on "Violent Restitution". Most of the drumwork is the same here, but he does some interesting fills and changes his drumwork up often to create a nice variety and to smooth out the pacing. Dave Carlo's riff work blazes along at a breakneck pace and never slows down until the the very end. However, there is a slower intro to 'Meaning Of Pain', 'Shotgun Justice', 'Brass Knuckles' and 'The Pugilist' but none of them last very long and eventually break into a neck wrecking frenzy pretty quickly.

 

Most of the lyrics deal with all sorts of violent conflicts, the thrash metal scene, and Miami! Dave Carlo really did a great job here with sarcastically over the top lyrics that it's hard to job into this album head first for pure enjoyment. Verses such as the one in Miami make the lyrics so charmingly memorable that it's hard not to enjoy, Dave Carlo and Bob Reid even take the piss out of their lyrics and recognize they're making sarcastic lyrics!

 

Now they've ruined Miami, they let it go to piss!

Now they've ruined Miami, there's nothing left to miss!

Now they've ruined Miami, and my vacation plans!

I guess I'll have to stay at home until they fix it, man!

 

Other songs such as 'Violence Condoned' talks about the band being fed-up with bullsh*t sleazy club managers not willing to keep their end of a bargain when they play live. 'Parricide' talks of a story of a son being fed up with his abusive father and stabs him 20 times because he beat his mother. 'Stabbed In The Back' tells a story of the deteriorating thrash metal scene and every one selling out for a couple of bucks. 'Brass Knuckles' is about a street fighter who kicks some serious ass for a living and 'Burning Bridges' talks about how the whole work world is bullsh*t and encourages you to burn your bridges and throw a middle finger to the working world.

 

The Verdict:

When you take all of the attributes of the band and put them together - especially so well - you get an album that really is just pure awesome, sarcastic, pissed off enjoyment. Sure there's a lot of "no really, f*ck you" serious moments, there's also a pinch of sarcasm here to keep the mood still enjoyable. If you are a fan of thrash metal, and just aggressive music in general, this should be in your collection. Razor outdid themselves so incredibly well here as well as upped the ante for the remaining players in the thrash metal game. 10/10 - A+ - 5/5

 

 

 

The banned 'Shotgun Justice' video:

 

 

Edited April 9, 2008 by Napalm Jason

[Wayfarer]

Very nice review, I really like the fact you gave a short historical background to the creation of this album. An enjoyable read, and "Shotgun Justice" sounds just plain badass. You got me interested.