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Good Friends, Bad Company

    
       
       
       
     
             
Hellcome! are a thrash metal band from Italy formed in 2009, spending their first three years performing live gigs, writing, and rehearsing songs for their debut album. Before the album was recorded, the band went on a lengthy period of inactivity, coming back to life in 2019 with renewed energy and a more modern slant on their sound. Along with the already written songs, new material was also written, and in 2020, Hellcome! unleashed their debut album, 'Good Friends, Bad Company'...    
             
...a highly aggressive and attitude laden thirty thrash-tastic minutes. The energy and intensity levels oozing from 'Good Friends, Bad Company' are off the scale, with the band mixing power metal elements into their thrash metal roots, adding a dash of good ol' rock and roll - "thrash 'n' roll" comments the band. Their debut album is brought to life with the blistering title song, the fast and furious 'Good Friends, Bad Company'. Accelerating straight off the blocks, 'Good Friends, Bad Company' (the song) is a red hot scorcher of an album opener, shouting, no, screaming listen to me. And listen I do, for this is good - really good... 'Good Friends, Bad Company' (the song) is a sit up and take notice opener, evoking a desire to wanna listen to more. And more arrives in the mighty shape of the blistering 'Dead City Lights' - opening with a guttural scream that would not go amiss on a death metal album. The vocals are menacing, and clean too - the music aggressive and in your face, and Hellcome! have shown in just the first two songs, two different styles of musical direction...    
             
...both ultimately rooted in thrash, but so very different. 'Revenge' packs a weighty punch as it explodes into life with a ferocious barrage of riffs, adopting the melodic style of thrash that bands such as Annihilator, Flotsam And Jetsam and Death Angel are well known for. 'Revenge' is infectious and more catchy than a professional fisherman on a good day! Attitude levels go through the fucking roof with the bludgeoning 'Can You Feel My Hate'. The savage blows 'Can You Feel My Hate' deliver are heavier and more aggressive than prime time (heavyweight boxing champion of the world) Mike Tyson. The in your face chorus is a chant style affair, and will be amazing to hear in a live arena the audience all screaming "mother fucker" at the tops of their voices. 'Until See Snakes' continues the pummelling, but also wanders into crossover territory - ala Anthrax! The sheer weight of 'Until See Snakes' is comparable to a thousand wrecking balls all hitting at once...    
             
...and then being hit with another thousand courtesy of 'The Art Of Squirting'. An intriguing title, 'The Art Of Squirting' is a thunderous fast paced slab of aggressive thrash metal - kind of the signature sound of Hellcome! The electrifying pace of the album reaches its peak with the lightning quick 'Motorhead'. Faster than a speeding bullet, 'Motorhead' craves furious head banging, ferocious mosh pits and will leave amateur moshers and head bangers with chronic neck pain...but for the seasoned veterans like myself, we question Hellcome! with "is that all you've got". The bands answer is a defiant no - 'Life Parade' marching on like a battalion marching into war. 'Life Parade' is menacing and dark, full of intent and purpose and will tremble the knees of many listeners. Sadly, all good things come to an end, and so does this album - brought to a close with 'Liver'...returning the Anthrax crossover influence once more - but only a little bit. 'Liver' is a thunderous end to an album of savage thrash metal, an album that deserves many more listens.    
             
Overall, a crushing cacophony of fast paced and aggressive thrash, the debut album from Hellcome! delivers a glorious array of thrash metal.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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