Description
The 80s Italian thrash metal scene was by all means fonder of the more brutal side of the genre as evident from the works of the Holy Three (Bulldozer, Necrodeath, Schizo), and more thought-out, serious efforts from there were a rarity at that time, Lord Crucifier’s Focus Of Life being the sole exception although when this album came out the band had already relocated to the UK, reportedly not very happy with the slow evolution of the scene in their homeland; sadly, that was all they were able to produce… Braindamage’s beginnings were hardly brain damaging by any standards, but the demo and the EP after it showed a capable outfit with a few interesting ideas covertly presented, still primarily keen on thrashing wildly with their eyes firmly on the headbanging fanbase. Entered the 90’s and the picture changed dramatically: Necrodeath were no more; Bulldozer humiliated themselves beyond any hope for redemption with the awful Dance Got Sick EP (1992); and the biggest psychos of them all Schizo took a really cool, albeit very surprising, semi-technical atmospheric direction with the excellent Sound Of Coming Darkness (1994). Braindamage debuted in 1993 with the Signal De Revolta. The album was old school thrash but also had songs that showed Voivod influences and tracks that were more modern, more 90s post-thrash. Their somophore album, The Turning Point (1996), wasnt the cleverly-concocted progressive thrash album that you would thought the band would came up with next. Instead The Turning Point was indeed a turning point with its complete exit from thrash, metamorphosing into a strange progressive rock opera possibly modelled after the works of the up-and-coming progressive metal outfit from their homeland Garden Wall who were soon to become one of the most innovative and original acts on the planet. The band would return to thrash metal with their third album, Collapse (1999). Their fifth opus, The Imposter, would show a modern twist just like Testament did with The Gathering. These different releases shows us that Braindamage is a band that are interested in trying various approaches to their music. An interesting band indeed.
Track list:
1. La Grande Guerre
2. Hospital For The Sick Children
3. No Place To Fall
4. Tour Rouge, Tour Noire, Grey Slabs
5. Aint Gonna Die For Your Flag
6. Flaming Telepaths-Blue Öyster Cult cover
7. The Snake Enchanter
8. Aurora
9. Disertori
10. Duryodhana
11. Old Cold Harbor
12. Four Winds Bar
13. The Turning Point