Death Inquisition- Greatest Shits Vol. 1

Death Inquisition is a thrash band from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Listeners that go into this release expecting a fun, polished thrash record will be thoroughly disappointed. While it can be fun at times, Death Inquisition plays an evil brand of thrash that could throw your average Christian into an epileptic fit. At times their sound features tinges of some of the more extreme subgenres of metal, giving them a sound that is fairly reminiscent of bands like Venom and Voor. Prepare for nearly twenty minutes of thrashy goodness.

The sound of this demo is simply filthy, there are absolutely no frills to be found. Death Inquisition has that certain special rawness that isn't achieved very often within the realms of thrash nowadays. The tracks here are very straightforward for the most part. That being said they are well written and are filled with riffs that make you want to bang your head until your neck despises you. The solos here can get a little sloppy at times but it sort of fits with the overall sound. The most effective track on this releases proves to be the longest. "Reaper of Faith" is definitely the best representation of the bands overall sound. It clocks in at nearly six minutes and features some of the most impressive guitar playing on the release. It puts all the main things that Death Inquisition utilize in their music on display and works as the centerpiece of the demo.

The bass is high in the mix, which gives this a different feel than a good portion of the thrash bands out there that have a very thin, one dimensional sound. Depending on your perception this could be a good or bad thing, some may find the bass too high in the mix. The vocals featured on here are barbaric to say the least. McDuffie sounds like a man on the brink of insanity. His wails definitely won't please everyone but there is a certain charm to be found within his raw, "I don't give a fuck" delivery. It may be all over the place but it works and that is all that matters.

Overall Death Inquisition's demo delivers. They capture the sinister old school thrash sound successfully without sounding forced like many other bands. We'll have to wait for a full-length to see whether they can utilize their sound and shape it into something amazing. That being said they are certainly starting off on the right track. Fans of thrash and the first wave of black metal should give this a look. It's the second wave of evil metal (Voor reference, if you're confused you can deal with it). Definitely recommended!