Review: BITTERNESS “Dead World Order” [G.U.C.]

For nearly two decades, Bitterness has been a beacon for the preservation of traditional Thrash Metal around the world.

Now, the south German thrash machine does it again with Dead World Order. A rock solid album of blazing licks and galloping beats, this is something that you can feel good about giving someone to introduce them to the genre.

Dead World Order is Thrash Metal personified. No crossover action, not much leaning towards the death end of things, and no sap. This is purebred Thrash Metal through and through, with enough grit to scrub the grime off your dishes.

A brutal sound calling up images of battle jackets and white hightops, Bitterness comes through for the community with a defining piece the likes of which has not existed for a very long time.

While short on revolutionary ideas, Bitterness takes a stand for the traditions of Thrash Metal, and runs with the concept. Not looking to break new ground, Dead World Order rather bears the genre’s torch proudly as it marches through the streets.

For a genre whose detractors persistently proclaim the death of, Bitterness provides an invaluable service by hoisting the flag and waving it with pride.

While providing plentiful hints towards their homeland’s history in the genre, Bitterness weaves its sound closer to the American epicenter of the style’s origins. Lending greatly from the early works of Megadeth and Anthrax, Dead World Order is a hard hitting album of straight shooting riffs with an overall air of the snotty punk rock attitude that was prevalent in the Bay Area scene. While brutally heavy, licks are still melodic and catchy. Drum beats roll out with persistence, providing plenty of variety, and fall into a very Lars Ulrich inspired territory. Vocals are generally barked in a style reminiscent of Slayer‘s Tom Araya, complete with the brief falsetto flourishes present in the band’s early work. Bitterness takes these influences and mix them thoroughly, creating a very smooth sound that could have just as easily ended up as a hodgepodge of classical influences.

Some fans may crave a bit more variety in the sound of a modern album, but this simply is not the intention of Dead World Order. I personally prefer a dash of Hardcore in my Thrash Metal for daily listening, but there is plenty of that to listen to. This album is about the classical sound of the genre, being held up for the world to see in a proclamation that “WE ARE NOT DEAD YET!” Bitterness carries the torch masterfully, and continuing down the road they’re on could easily find themselves in a future generation’s big four.