Pissing Razors - Pissing Razors
Noise Records - 1998
By Philip Whitehouse
Take Pantera's sound, run sandpaper down Phil Anselmo's vocal chords, make Dimebag Darrell's guitar work more shredding, less complex and more visceral, add frenetic drumming and an added sense of menace to the mix and you've just created new Texan metal monsters, Pissing Razors.
To say that the Razors were inspired by Pantera would be like saying that Spider from Powerman 5000 and Rob Zombie sound a little alike, or that Marilyn Manson took some inspiration from Alice Cooper. Pissing Razors stand out just enough on their own to not be dismissed as a Pantera tribute band with original songs, however.
The pace is breakneck right from the start, and it rarely slows down. This is an album that is undoubtedly bad for the neck but good for the soul. It's the perfect aggression therapy, and the best excuse for turning the volume on the stereo up to full and killing the neighbour's pets with sound that you could possibly find.
Stand-out tracks on this album include opener, 'Dodging Bullets', if only for the blood-curdling screams Joe Rodriguez unleashes before the chorus, and 'Life Of A Lunatic', for the truly frighteningly heavy introduction, complete with palpably unbalanced drumming, staccato riffage followed immediately by an insidious bass riff, a high, feedback-like guitar lick and some quiet, sinister vocals.
If you like Pantera, you'll love these. Even if you don't like Pantera, give them a try anyway. Maybe the pure, neck-whipping foot-stomping frenzy of it all will help unbend your ear from straight-forward metal.
Noise Records - 1998
By Philip Whitehouse
Take Pantera's sound, run sandpaper down Phil Anselmo's vocal chords, make Dimebag Darrell's guitar work more shredding, less complex and more visceral, add frenetic drumming and an added sense of menace to the mix and you've just created new Texan metal monsters, Pissing Razors.
To say that the Razors were inspired by Pantera would be like saying that Spider from Powerman 5000 and Rob Zombie sound a little alike, or that Marilyn Manson took some inspiration from Alice Cooper. Pissing Razors stand out just enough on their own to not be dismissed as a Pantera tribute band with original songs, however.
The pace is breakneck right from the start, and it rarely slows down. This is an album that is undoubtedly bad for the neck but good for the soul. It's the perfect aggression therapy, and the best excuse for turning the volume on the stereo up to full and killing the neighbour's pets with sound that you could possibly find.
Stand-out tracks on this album include opener, 'Dodging Bullets', if only for the blood-curdling screams Joe Rodriguez unleashes before the chorus, and 'Life Of A Lunatic', for the truly frighteningly heavy introduction, complete with palpably unbalanced drumming, staccato riffage followed immediately by an insidious bass riff, a high, feedback-like guitar lick and some quiet, sinister vocals.
If you like Pantera, you'll love these. Even if you don't like Pantera, give them a try anyway. Maybe the pure, neck-whipping foot-stomping frenzy of it all will help unbend your ear from straight-forward metal.
