The march of progress is inevitable and unstoppable. Whether you like it or not, it was destiny ever since metal was first invented that people would take the sound into entirely new directions with legions of fans seeking to carve out new territory for their own with many leaving the old ways in the past in search for supposedly higher glory. Sure, loads of success has become accomplished in more recent times, but there are few things that can compare to an old school approach done right. Fortunately for us, the old school has never waned in the world of metal with bands and likely won’t for some time so long as we continue to have bands like Frightful at the forefront of that very offensive.

While there has always been plenty of room for death metal to become its more modern iteration that can take many different forms even when things are kept simple and heavy, the original vein of the style that was largely based out of thrash metal is not often enough given enough credit or representation anymore, and I’ve never been able to understand why. It’s a weird thing given that there’s not many things out there that can ever really compare to a release that delivers brutality in equal amounts to its speed to result in a furious display of power that holds nothing back and almost immediately breaks the neck of the listener simply for being in proximity to such madness. Frightful has learned to embody those concepts within its sound with the band’s second effort, “What Lies Ahead”, more than capitalizing on that opportunity. Eight ripping tracks that never leave anything on the table nor do they waste a moment, this is a record that embodies what can still be done where thrash and death metal come together in a relatively simplistic yet gripping form that grabs the listener right by the throat and never once gives you a chance for escape. Yet, it’s in the madness that Frightful is still more than capable of throwing in surprising melody and intrigue as the red flashing of the blood flowing from your eyes allows you to witness the true form of this Polish entity.

Where speed and intensity intersect and become a true force of nature that cannot easily be stopped much like that of a great wide tornado, Frightful displays an understanding of the style that we don’t get to bear witness to nearly often enough. Constantly tapping into what made the earliest death metal so special in the first place and always leaving more than enough room for their own flavors and nuances to bleed into the final mix, the whole of “What Lies Ahead” is as boisterous in its magnitude as it is unyielding in its fury.

“What Lies Ahead” releases on February 28th via Godz ov War Productions!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “What Lies Ahead” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Frightful on Facebook here.