Review Summary: For Victory in a World Without God.
Kommand have slowly been crushing the death metal scene in Los Angeles since 2016. Charging out of the gate with two demos and subsequently releasing a compilation of said demos with Maggot Stomp. This outfit features members of Hoax, Lock, Blazing Eye, Condition, and Trash Talk, however, Kommand offers up a record of absolutely ruthless death metal. Terrorscape was almost a year in the making and was well worth the wait.
From the opening riff and howl of ‘Gulag Orphanage’ to the closing blast in ‘Death Ships’ this record has very little room to breathe. There’s an oppressive atmosphere crafted very expertly. Influences range from Finnish death metal along the lines of Convulse or Demigod with an emphasis on slower crunchier sections akin to Bolt Thrower. ‘Gulag Orphanage’ contains a section around the 3-minute mark that wouldn’t sound out of place on For Victory before blasting into a short solo.
Vocalist Jesse Sanes, most notably known for being the frontman of Hoax, utilizes a roar so similar to Karl Willetts of Bolt Thrower. There’s a charm to the vocals that feels like an homage rather than derivation. The production of Terrorscape would make you think that this was released on Earache Records in the mid 90’s. One look at the artwork can tell you exactly what this record may sound like. A dystopian, hellish, bombastic piece of modern death metal.
It is hard to pick a standout track among the 6 songs here, but, ‘Siege’ would have to be the one. The aforementioned track showcases everything Kommand can do within a 3-minute timeframe. One interesting factor to outline is the runtime of this record. At 6 songs, 24-minutes this feels more like an EP rather than a full length. The songs blast right by begging for another replay. There is no instrumentals, no interludes, no filler.
With this style of death metal, songs can drag on for far too long. Terrorscape seems like it was crafted very carefully. The tracks have enough time to grow and capture the listener before they end. A drawback to certain listeners looking for something more technical or a record containing more variety will have to look somewhere else. This recording was made for cavemen with low IQ wanting riffs along the lines of a sledgehammer cracking your skull.
Kommand are able to grow and improve on their demos, while retaining what makes them most interesting. Terrorscape is a love letter to UK and Finnish death metal of the 90’s. Hostile, urgent, and ruthless are how this recording can be described. The last few years have been a goldmine for upcoming death metal acts and Kommand are at the forefront.
