Tenet is something of a super group. Steve “Zetro” Souza (ex-Exodus) on vocals, Gene Hoglan (Dark Angel/Strapping Young Lad) Drums, and founder Jed Simon (Zimmers Hole, SYL) on one guitar make a well-rounded extreme metal group also solidified by Byron Stroud (SYL/Fear Factory) on bass. Just looking at the entire personnel list here makes your hair stand on end, not forgetting Glen Alvelais (Forbidden/Testament) on second guitar. These musicians have always produced skull crushing heaviness in everything that they have done, so what for Tenet.
TENET = “An opinion, doctrine or principle held as being true by a person or especially by an organization”.
Wowzer…(My Inspector Gadget moment – sorry.) this blows the cobwebs away from the opening notes of ‘Being and Nothingness’. The power of this heavy, oh so heavy thrash metal gives you that “should have taken my head out of the blender” feeling. After this one, you have surely been torn a “new-one” quite literally. The mastering, courtesy of the production god Andy Sneap, gives this truly modern production and a kick more than a pint of jagermeister downed in one. Hoglan possesses some of the fastest technical drumming in thrash metal, and metal in general, and it’s a true workout in every sense of the word here. Many a drum is battered; I bet the skins are changed after each recording! Souza’s unmistakable rasp is the stuff of legends, three years back we were reminded of this greatness post-Exodus in the Dublin Death Patrol project (along with Chuck Billy – Testament). Still not having lost any of that talent, the vocals bring the power right up to the front, and gives this album just a poke in the eye that the modern sound of Exodus produce. I do find the musical leanings somewhat industrialised in a SYL vein coupled with the ever present speed of the Dark Angel influences. It all just fits. ‘Unnameable’ is nearly 5 minutes of relentless hammering, but the way you like it to done. Raspy, exciting and powerful vocals play the game with tantric solos and thrashing riff mongering. Track structures are strong with arrangements that enable you to take a breath before having it beaten out of you, quite literally. I have been taken-a-back by this album and the energy it has, as yet after a considerable number of listens I still cannot find anything at fault with this album.
It may not be anything different or out of the ordinary, but this extreme heavy thrash mayhem will turn your world upside down when you buy this album and give it a spin. Any fan of this genre cannot fail to be into this; if it’s too heavy then go and check out some EMO band, this is real metal. This is a perfect album for hammering out the demons. Some of the masters of the genre show the wannabe’s how it should be done and this is an essential purchase in my book. If you miss SYL and crave for Dark Angel, you have to get this.
http://www.tenetforce.com
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