Full Blown Chaos - Within the Grasp of Titans
- Released: July 2006
- Label: Stillborn Records
- Rating:
My first introduction to Full Blown Chaos was in a small club called the Nyabinghi in Youngtown, OH. A friend of mine insisted that we go check them out as he had seen them before. We watched them play to a club of 50 kids, yet you would have thought that they were playing in front of a sold out crowd. The energy level was unbelievable for a band made up of guys that, like myself, mostly wear T-shirts in the 2x or larger size range.
That show left an impression on me that guaranteed that I would be a long time Full Blown Chaos fan. When Wake the Demons was released, I ran to the record store that day and bought a copy of it. In July, when Within the Grasp of Titans was released, I made another trip to the record store to be sure I was able to get a copy of this disc the day it came out. I tore the plastic off of the CD case and put in the disc as quickly as I could. The results were exactly what I expected them to be. Brutal. Angry. Magnificent.
Within the Grasp of Titans is the album that should prove to the world that Full Blown Chaos is not going to just put out a couple of albums and fade away. This new release shows noticeable improvement in their songwriting abilities in both the musical and lyrical departments. The band delivers 13 tracks of brutal aggression that will leave the listener on edge and ready to stage dive feet first into the nearest moshpit and destroy everything in their path.
While the band are considered a hardcore band in many circles, this release really shows that Full Blown Chaos has entered the realm of metal and has left all but the ethics, ideals and beatdowns of hardcore behind. The first three tracks are fast-paced metallic explosions of sheer aggression. From “Trials of Triumph” through “Chopping Block” the band never lets up. Neverending double kicks and frequent beatdowns keep things extremely heavy, and while the FBC keep things to the point and the songs are shortm there is plenty of variety to keep things interesting.
The fourth track, “Solemn Promise”, is the anthem of this album. In a throwback to the their hardcore roots, the band was able to put together an extremely catchy track that makes great use of gang vocals to build what I consider to be the highlight of the album. There are certainly heavier tracks on the album, but this is the hit of the CD. The lyrics speak of the promise to stand by a friend and drag him up from the depths of a drug addiction that threatens to destroy him. It is something that most of us can identify with, as we all have friends that have problems in their life that need someone to help them when they are at their lowest point.
“Rise and Fight” picks up the pace again, and the disc continues to deliver blistering metal. While you will not find highly technical solos and tons of harmonized guitars that are often found in newer metal releases, the songs are competent and a definite improvement over Wake the Demons. While the drums never quite reach the level of most modern death metal, the double kicks are frequent and the delivery is relentless. Towards the end of the disc, the track “Kingdom Undone” is a great example of how the band has focused on the metal elements of its sound and made the band able to make itself at home on stage with bands from the hardcore scene, as well on a metal tour with someone like Lamb of God.
The final track, “The Voorhees Complex”, is probably the heaviest offering on the disc. At times, it sounds like something you’d find on a death metal record. After this track, there is a hidden re-recording of the song “Blood Flow” that was originally found on their Prophet of Hostility record. This track was one of the highlights of their early discs and being able to hear it recorded with the tight production and sound quality that has been present on the last two Full Blown Chaos albums really breathes new life into an old hit.
Whether you have listened to Full Blown Chaos or not, this album is a sure thing for fans of metallic hardcore and metalheads that love when a band brings the chug. For the price, a Stillborn Records sampler is also included. Once you have had a chance to soak up the sledgehammer blow that is Within the Grasp of Titans be sure to check out Full Blown Chaos live the next time they come on tour. Their live performance is outstanding and I am sure you will agree that Ray and the boys certainly do not disappoint!
http://www.fullblownchaos.com/
Jason “CJSIXER” Wenderoth | 08/25/2006