Playing a brand of death thrash that was familiar to metal fans by the early 90s, Boundless Chaos offer no surprises on their debut. Sinister Upheaval might have been better named Sinister Reminiscence, as it builds exclusively on the foundations laid decades ago by the likes of Dark Angel, Possessed and fellow countrymen Sodom. Now admittedly, that’s not a bad template to build on for your first full-length, and guitarists M.J. and T.B. clearly worship the likes of Eric Meyer, their dueling thrash riffs channeling the same furious, pummeling energy. Behind the kit, M.F. sets a similarly frantic pace for much of the record, as from the opening fills of first track “Down” on, he drives Boundless Chaos along. E.M.’s vocals are in that distortion-edged thrash school favored by the likes of Sodom’s Tom Angelripper, although with perhaps a little more gravel thrown into the mixer, which gives Boundless Chaos a slightly rough edge.
Clocking in at just 35 minutes, Sinister Upheaval has little fat on its carcass, presenting a constant onslaught of riffs, underscored by a bass groove (P.K.) that adds some decent depth to the sound. Album highlights “Blasphemous Rupture” and closer “Demons Unchained” both feel vibrant, the latter launching forward with wild abandon. The former does the opposite, lifting a couple of toes off the gas and slowing the pace ever so slightly, particularly in its back half, which is both a welcome respite and also offers a little variety to Boundless Chaos’ material. Sandwiches in between the two, “Rip out the Roots” takes this a step further, feeling positively mid-paced (compared to the rest of the records), sounding like Beneath the Remains-era Sepultura, and not only because E.M. adds a little more hoarseness and distortion to his vocals recalling Max Cavalera.
Sinister Upheaval is a well-put-together record, albeit one does nothing we haven’t heard before. Boundless Chaos wear their influences proudly and openly on their collective sleeve, and do what they do well, with M.J. and T.B. slinging old school thrashy riffs in all directions. It feels familiar, without being derivative, and the band feels energized and hungry. The songs are tightly written and there is zero bloat here, while the production is solid, with the DR 9 making Sinister Upheaval easy on the ear. At the same time, it’s hard to look past the lack of innovation or originality in the material. It’s all well executed and there is nothing to dislike here but that’s principally because it all sits so firmly on a bedrock of quality records we all know and love. And there is nothing wrong with that but it’s a simple fact that I will always put on Agent Orange or Darkness Descends, in preference to Sinister Upheaval.
Maybe there’s nothing Boundless Chaos can do about that. Sinister Upheaval feels exactly like what it is: the debut of a band whose members are talented, and clearly love old school, late-80s thrash and death metal. They are having a lot of fun while they look for their own voice and identity as a band but, with the core of the band having seemingly been together since around 2016 (albeit under another name), I wonder how long that might take.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Websites: boundlesschaos.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/boundlesschaos
Releases Worldwide: January 19th, 2024
