Global Scum – “Odium” – perfectly paced rhythms with anarchic vocals and crushing choruses

Austrian musician and vocalist Manuel Harlander gained experience as a guitarist and frontman in various projects at an early stage. These finally culminated in the desire to give space to his creativity and the creation of his solo project Global Scum. Harlander growls, plays all the instruments himself, and is also responsible for the recording and mixing. The new album by Global Scum, entitled “Odium”, is a hard hitting Groove Metal scrutiny of a corrupted world. It reminds me of all of the Soulfly and Sepultura trademarks metal fans love. Bludgeoning heaviness combined with machine-gun beats and a bone crushing riffs, to make the contrast as badass as humanly possible. Furthermore, what lies between the album’s two poles can only be described as some of the best groove/death metal, uniting perfectly paced rhythms with anarchic vocals and crushing choruses.

The whole album is solid with no throwaway tracks and the drumming and rhythm section is on a top level game. Every track has some kickass riffing that many other bands would pull one or two riffs from, and make entire songs from just those, while Global Scum weaves them with great leads interspersed to make it exciting all the way through.

There is plenty of thrash overtones – while staying fresh, overtly heavy and driving in a death and groove vein that will have you waiting for those double bass pedal, mosh pit crazy, head banging moments that rattle out your teeth’s fillings.

A lot of metal bands out there seem to write an album where each song sounds the exact same. Constant speed and same riffs. Global Scum is able to distinguish each song. Manuel Harlander does a great job with well-placed breakdowns, mixing in a variety of tones and melodies, while keeping things crunchy and speedy.

Right after the epic cinematic opening, on “Lunatic”, what is found, is nothing but state-of-the-art heaviness. Manuel’s frenetic growls, the skull-smashing weight of the impactful drumming and the thrashing guitars are particularly worthy of very hefty praise, each of which pack a clear passion and urgency behind them.

The end result is pure, unfiltered energy from early tracks like “Feared”, “Fake As Fuck” and “Full of Hell”: ruthless aural madness that leaps off of the vinyl that it was printed on and demands movement. Every subsequent lyric, which deals with corruption to perverted minds, as well as fakers and haters, only adds fuel to the already vicious fire ignited by the instrumental section.

Though it may be a stretch to call this an out an out concept album, there is a methodical structure to “Odium” that manages to feature its fairly recurring theme in each track. “Assassins” and “Violent Creation”, respectively condemn suicide assassins and global terrorism.

On “Martyrium”, we even get to hear Global Scum hammer out the song in German. A guttural sounding language that is a perfect fit for the aggressive grind of metal music. If purists believe that opera should be sung in Italian, then undoubtedly metal should be performed in German, for the same reason.

The first thing that immediately hits the listener about this album is just how visceral and dark its sound is. Here the guitars pack an especially big punch, and while groovy riffs have serious gravity and weight, the rhythm section, the effects and the all the other instruments are well balanced.

The ferocious, animalistic energy the opening tracks display, continues throughout the whole album, right until the manic closers, “Savage Killers” and “Mental Anxiety”, never once getting exhausting or boring. This is due to the songwriting, which manages to be intense, creative and dynamic within Manuel Harlander’s own range of influences and styles.

The groovy hooks are often interlaced with fluid tempo changes and raspy, thrash metal riffs. But no matter which side Global Scum brings to the table, one thing is sure: It’s always catchy, infectious and well-delivered. With the cover artwork done by Moon Ring Design and the mastering executed by Christian Schmid, NRT-Records are sure to have put out a high quality album with “Odium”.