Review by Allan on February 26, 2003.

After a two-year hiatus South Florida’s Where Fear & Weapons Meet is back with not a full-length album, but a MCD simply titled “Control.” Their intention: to create some real hardcore. No more indecipherable howls, none of that Swedish influenced crap, and certainly not any of those ‘so-technical-you-won’t-know-what-hit-you’ leads. Nah, “The Weapon” isn’t about that. They’re about creating that traditional hardcore sound with that much needed modern edge, and you know what? It’s working.

There’s something about catchy songs with a heavy edge that gets the listener every time. It’s identifiable, and more importantly, it’s fun. “Control” is a good album to sit back and rock out to. The rhythm - guitars, drums, and all - leads the songs forward with its high paced, high-energy, and positive style. And what would a good hardcore band be without a vocalist – in this case Alex Roundhouse – that had that same energy as the music and the will to bring the listener right up onto the stage with them? Vocals are a big part of The Weapon, and Roundhouse’s “listen to me I have something to say” attitude is perfect for the part. When all of the band members get together to shout out some lyrics together, it really gives “Control” a great punk feel, which further pushes the traditional hardcore-ness of this album and the positive feel of things.

While “Control” is an MCD that only clocks in at around 14 minutes (yes, 14 minutes), it is definitely welcome by fans of a band that is coming back after two years. If The Weapon keeps pushing themselves at this rate, there’s no doubt that their absence will be put behind them and they’ll be able to jump right back into the scene.

Bottom Line: Traditional hardcore fans, this is for you.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Production: 7
Originality: 5
Overall: 7

Rating: 6.6 out of 10

Review by Felix on March 23, 2022.

...and then it got musty. Welcome to At The Darkest Night, the debut of two dudes from Brazil who have recycled Bathory’s 'Raise The Dead' riff in order to kick off their output. No doubt, this duo likes to spend the nights in clammy vaults where the ghosts of Quorthon, Sodom’s Witchhunter and – to a lesser degree – Jeff Hanneman haunt restlessly. Each and every idea on this output was first conceived in 1983 and therefore individuality is not the most significant feature here. But the music of multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer Lucas From Hell (totally non-generic pseudonym) and his drumming sidekick pursues goals other than the realization of one's own ego. Passionate worship of the (very) old gods is on the agenda. Evilcult intend to keep the flame of dirty underground metal alive and their primitive sounds fuel the fire again and again. I’m sure that the spiritual brother who runs Whipstriker likes this album, even in its rare moments of crude rock ‘n’ roll, for example at the beginning of 'Burning Leather'.

Evilcult is one of these competent hordes that know how to deliver a fresh breeze without erasing the footprints of the pioneers. Their material sounds old-fashioned, but not stale, pretty primitive, but not boring and dusty yet energetic. The more or less rumbling production pays tribute to the backwards-oriented attitude of the musicians. Just concentrate on the genre-typical, raw and somehow boozy vocals which have been recorded with a lot of reverb. Moreover, guitars, bass and drums have a filthy undertone. But South-America’s underground legions have never been interested in sonic hygiene and honestly speaking, this is a good reason to support them. Another reason is the accessibility of their music. Nobody needs a million spins in order to decode the songs. Evilcult attack in a direct and transparent manner, although their mix, as indicated above, does not sound transparent at all.

Naturally, the lyrics are nonsensical. Satan lurks everywhere, angels turn to black, people prey for mercy and therefore I am glad to see that a “night of sodomy and lust” also shows up. Yet we all know that lyrics are the least important element when it comes to a proper dose of black thrash. It makes much more sense to enjoy songs like the stormy 'Sons Of Hellfire' with their “Show No Mercy” compatible aura. This track combines tried and tested methods with a rebellious mentality and exactly this mix lends the band its credibility. Yes, the picture of the two protagonists on the back of the CD is almost a copy of the first Destruction promo shots and maybe this is all just a sort of childish denial of reality. “Hey guys, we write the year 2022!” – “No, you’re wrong. The eighties have just begun!” Anyway, the present with this f**king war in the Ukraine tastes extremely bitter and therefore it can be a very good idea to take a trip 40 years back in time. Cold war is better than real war, so to say, and Evilcult offer themselves as travel guides. They do not have unique selling points, but it’s cool to have them on your side when you dive into the past – and a little mustiness does not hurt.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10