Album Review: Isn’t War Great by Apokalyptic Raids Farscape
Alright, let’s dive into Isn’t War Great, the 2013 release from Brazil’s own Apokalyptic Raids Farscape. If you’re into raw, unfiltered metal that punches you in the gut and doesn’t apologize for it, this one might just be your jam. It’s a wild mix of death metal, thrash, and black metal—like someone threw all three styles into a blender and hit “pure chaos.” Released under Hell Music and Damned Dogs (killer label names, right?), this album is as intense as its title suggests.
First off, I gotta shout out the track "Evil." Man, this song grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. The riffs are nasty, with Poisonhell laying down some seriously gnarly lead guitar work on this one. Paired with Skullkrusher’s relentless drumming, it feels like being chased through a warzone. And Necromaniac’s vocals? Pure venom. You can tell these guys weren’t aiming for perfection—they were going for impact, and they nailed it.
Then there’s "Angels Of Hell," which hits different but still slaps hard. This track leans more into the black metal vibe, with tremolo-picked guitars and an atmosphere so dark it feels like staring into the abyss. Sub Umbra’s basslines rumble underneath everything, giving the track a sinister depth that sticks with you long after it ends. Honestly, I couldn’t stop humming parts of it—even if my version sounded more like a dying cat than actual music.
What really ties the whole thing together is Leon Manssur’s mastering and mixing. He somehow made this chaotic mess sound cohesive without losing any of its edge. Kudos to him because, trust me, that ain’t easy when you’ve got three subgenres fighting for space.
The credits list reads like a who’s who of Brazilian extreme metal talent, and you can hear their passion bleeding through every second of this record. From Necromaniac pulling double duty on vocals and guitar to Leonardo Rodrigues stepping in as producer for part of the project, everyone brought their A-game.
So yeah, Isn’t War Great isn’t gonna win any Grammys, but honestly, I don’t think that was ever the goal. This album exists to rip faces off, plain and simple. And honestly? That’s kinda refreshing. In a world full of overproduced albums trying too hard to impress, this one feels real. Like, “we’re here to crush skulls, not win awards” real.
Final thought: Listening to this album feels like getting caught in a tornado—it’s messy, loud, and leaves you wondering what just happened. But hey, at least you’ll have fun while it lasts. Oh, and if you listen closely, you might even catch yourself thinking, “Yeah, war kinda does suck…but this album rules.” Go figure.
