Audiopain
The Switch to Turn Off Mankind
Vendlus
Mr. Neck, meet Mr. Axe
Screw retro thrash—Norway’s Audiopain (laugh at the name, then get over it) were banging out polka beats and machine-gun riffs long before white hi-top and back patch manufacturers seemingly colluded to “bring thrash back.” Unlike today’s trend-hoppers, who blow their loads early, shoving Bonded by Blood through flailing German overeagerness, Audiopain are grim, disciplined, professional operators. Bulleted riffs stream forth as if belt-fed, drummer Bjarne Guntveit pushing the beat and deploying tumbling fills like a young Dave Lombardo. Atop this Slayer-meets-Motörhead-via-NWOBHM assault sits Sverre Dæhli’s rasp, announcing the apocalypse. The blackened result: cinders. Smoke rises; women wail over the tank tread-striped backs of their departed. Posers, you have been warned.
Oddly averse to full-lengths (the band has issued five EPs and six splits, but only one album), Audiopain only dole out six tracks on The Switch to Turn Off Mankind. But with awesome lines like “Faster to death with the throttle at max / As I introduce Mr. Neck to Mr. Axe,” no more is needed. Audiopain’s pet move is a piquant, Slayer-esque trill, the riff equivalent of an evil glint in the eye. The band slathers these trills everywhere like bloody graffiti. In “Cobra Dance,” even the bass gets in on the action, flicking sinuous, forked-tongue lines. “Termination Fields” is just as slinky, smoothly goose-stepping through a mid-paced march. “Hellbound” is a bucking bronco of shuddering accents and fully automatic fire, while “Alliance” points a gun at Lemmy’s head, with the ultimatum: Thrash or die. As Darkthrone’s Fenriz says, “Support Audiopain, not Audioslave!” —Cosmo Lee
