UMUR "Death Hammer" is the debut full-length studio album by UK thrash metal act Flayed Disciple. The album was released through Grindscene Records in May 2012. Flayed Disciple was formed in 2008 and released the "Drawn Viscera (2009)" and the "Ejaculate While Killing (2010)" EPs before releasing "Death Hammer". Both "Exodus" and the title track from the "Ejaculate While Killing (2010)" EP are featured in re-recorded versions on "Death Hammer" as well as "Torsofucked" from the "Drawn Viscera (2009)" EP.

Stylistically the material on "Death Hammer" is in the brutal end of the thrash metal spectrum. The instrumental part of the music is sharp, aggressive, and brutal thrash metal while the vocals are death metal growls. To my ears the vocals are the weak link on the album. It´s not that they aren´t well performed growling vocals, but they just don´t fit very well with the music. Thrash metal in this vein just works so much better with a snarling aggressive vocalist, and the one-dimensional growling vocals soon become a bit tedious. It´s probably an aquired taste though, and I recommend that the readers check it out themselves, to see if it´s an issue to their ears.

The material on the 10 track, 51:13 minutes long album is otherwise really effective and you´re bound to bang your head while listening to this brutal thrash metal assault. Flayed Disciple are a really well playing band too, so the high level musicianship is also one of the great assets of the band´s music. "Death Hammer" is fairly well produced and upon conclusion it´s a quality release in the brutal end of the thrash metal spectrum. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Flayed Disciple" is a self-titled EP release by UK death/thrash metal act Flayed Disciple. Despite the eponymous title it´s not the band´s debut release, as they have released two EPs and an album before this one. The EP was released in May 2014 on limited edition 12" Red vinyl through Bethlam Records and digitally through the band´s Bandcamp profile.

The 20:06 minutes long EP features 3 tracks of brutal and aggressive death/thrash. The instrumental part of the music is thrash metal through and through, so it´s the growling vocals which provide the music with a death metal element. It´s actually a bit of an unusual choice to include regular growls on a death/thrash metal release instead of the more typical higher pitched snarling type vocals. It´s not that it makes "Flayed Disciple" a particularly original sounding release, but it just makes it slightly different from other releases in the genre.

Despite the music being relatively standard for the genre, Flayed Disciple still manages to convey their message in a very convincing manner. They are not only skilled musicians who know how to handle their instruments, but they also play with fierce energy and passion. Sometimes they whip up a storm of aggression with fast blasting drums (not completely unlike the fast blasting sections played by Defleshed), ultra fast thrashy riffing, and tempo changes to keep things varied, which is a very effective cocktail.

The EP is well produced and upon conclusion "Flayed Disciple" is a quality release by the band. The only thing missing is a more personal original sound, where Flayed Disciple comes up a bit short, but if you´re looking for a furiously aggressive death/thrash metal assault delivered by a band who takes absolutely no prisoners, this EP will apply to your needs. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.