I've always loved those 'forgotten bands' acts whose influence was largely ignored and yet who predated some of the kings of their respective genres. The Fiend seems to be one of those bands to me, and perhaps that is what makes their new record Greed Power Religion War one of the angriest punk records I have heard all year. Utterly nihilistic and triumphantly destructive this is the kind of punk rock album that gets to the heart of what the entire thing is about and will speak to the ungodly power the genre holds.
The intro to the record, the unsettling Intro To War leads to the almost Carcass derived title track Greed Power Religion War. The fusion of punk and metal ideas on this record is especially interesting to me. Though Greed Power Religion War is definitely a punk album there are more than a few metal ideas that sneak in and help make this thing even more powerful. The fact of the matter is that The Fiend are still doing it four decades into their career, and if that means bringing in thrash metal ideas here and there so be it. The lyrics are spat out with an almost Tom Araya like precision and the riffs are simmering with rock and roll energy, both things that help keep this record exciting for a jaded old metal dude like me.
The way that The Fiend seem to boil over with hatred, even this late in the game is stunning and it proves to me the eternal power of punk rock. These guys understand what it means to be angry and they have a message behind their music. It makes for easy listening that gets you pumping your fist, but also thinking about larger societal issues. The Fiend are in 2015 still making hardcore punk in the grand old style and for that reason dudes like me will have to be forever grateful. Get fucked up in the pit because these guys won't have it any other way.
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cheers for the review
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