A.O.D. — Painful Awakening (review)

A.O.D. — Painful Awakening album cover EP · 1989 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
UMUR
"Painful Awakening" is an EP release by Finnish thrash metal act A.O.D. (Altars of Destruction). The EP was independently released in 1989. A.O.D. formed in 1986, released two 1988 demos and this EP before disbanding (a cassette tape compilation album titled "Altar of Destruction" was also released in 1988 containing the material from the two demos). A.O.D. would emerge again many years later and release their debut full-length studio album "Gallery of Pain" (April 2010, Violent Journey Records).

Stylistically A.O.D. play a thrash metal style both influenced by the rawness of the German scene, but also and more prominently by the slightly more technical but still aggressive US scene (Slayer, Dark Angel...etc.). While the demos still featured some traditional heavy metal and speed metal elements, those elements are gone from the two tracks on the 7:24 minutes long EP and this is a pure thrash metal release.

The rawness and aggression of the music is fully in line with the direction taken by fellow contempoary Finnish thrash metal acts like A.R.G. and Phlegethon and this part of Finnish metal history holds quite a few examples of artists similar to A.O.D. In that respect they don´t bring anything new to the table and although the material is well written, the sound production is above standard for the scene/time and A.O.D. are a well playing band too, "Painful Awakening" isn´t the most unique or intense thrash metal release from that time. It´s still a decent quality release showing that A.O.D. were a force to be reckoned with in their day. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.
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