Green Army - Reborn of the Blackened Phenomenon (2013) - Passionately true to the extreme metal core - 64% (27/05/14)

Bangladesh is not a country known for its small metal scene. I might though suggest you a few decent bands from that country like the first heavy metal band RockStrata that was formed back in 1985 and released the country’s first metal record in 1990. I must also cite the great progressive metal act Artcell. Progressive metal band Cryptic Fate is also a big name to check out.

Now, I have stumbled over a new death and thrash metal band from the capital Dhaka that is called Green Army. They band has released its first EP entitled “Reborn Of The Blackened Phenomenon” last year. The band’s slogan is called “We’re true right down to the fucking core” and that's exactly what you can expect. I must admit that I don't understand everything of the lyrics and that these guys' English is not so decent but it's all about the passion for metal music on here anyway and we shouldn't judge these youngsters too hard.

The four young men play quite dystopian and mostly pitiless speed metal that mixes death and thrash metal elements. The songs also have a few groovier passages as well. The drum sound and the sometimes almost inaudible guitar sound are horrible on the demo but the dominating bass guitar pleases me a lot as well as the raw but not completely unmelodic vocals that give the band an intriguing touch. Musically, these guys are clearly inspired by bands like Sepultura and Slayer and fans of these bands could like this first strike despite its bad production. The songs are atmospheric, energizing and even include a few memorable moments. The band mixes raw energy with a few more developed passages where one can guess a lot of potential and talent behind the raw sound. Some breaks almost happen to sound progressive which intrigues me a lot. These parts are a little bit too short but add a lot of freshness to the compositions and the band should maybe focus more on these breaks in the future. With a better production and some more experience, the band could become Bangladesh’s most promising extreme metal band.

Give these guys a fair try and check out their official Bandcamp presence:http://tridroid.bandcamp.com/album/reborn-of-the-blackened-phenomenon

Originally written for The Metal Observer