PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Formed in 2007 after a couple of rehearsals and lots of beer, Bunker 66, hailing from Messina in Sicily, have been getting rave reviews from the inner circle of the punk and metal underground since their first EP release in 2009. Since then they’ve continued to press forward with their own brand of “Black Speed Metal” as their wonderfully named drummer, Desekrator of the Altar, calls it and now have their first full album available with Inferno Interceptor.
I’ve got to admit that after reviewing the past few albums here on Planetmosh I was concerned I was on a bad run, but thankfully Bunker 66 have provided me with an entertaining, if rough around the edges, slice of spikey punk come thrash metal. As you’ve read above, they class themselves as “Black Speed Metal”, a moniker I’m not entirely convinced of though. You can hear the influences of the likes of Venom and old school thrash/black metal elements, but more often than not their music carries an anarchistic punk feel to it, be it from the guitar work of Bone Incenerator or the drum work of Desekrator. The metal side does shines through in Damien Thorne’s old school growls and rattling bass lines though, bringing these three together into one rough and ready unit.
You also can’t help but feel there’s a huge slice of tongue in cheek here from Bunker 66 too. We’re not just talking band members here but song titles like Chubby Love or Witch Flights & Sexy Nights. It’s an album that allows me to raise a wry smile and have a little chuckle while enjoying some metal wrapped in a punk attitude.
Like its influences too, you find it throws its eight tracks at you in vociferous form and within thirty minutes it’s gone and you’re left wondering what just hit you!
The tracks themselves have a familiar form to them throughout, although provide enough contrast to not get boring thanks in part to their short and sharp nature. The opening track, Overnight Sacrifice, hits you with a good old slab of retro thrash while Night of the Scream Queen mixes it up with shades of punk elements creeping. Institor gives us more of that delicious old school influenced slab before we hit the stomping pace of Storm of the Usurper replete with a good whack of attitude.
I mentioned Chubby Love earlier on as a sign that Bunker 66 perhaps don’t take themselves too seriously, but in all truth, track name aside it’s probably my favourite track on the album thanks to its pace and chorus. It’s a cool little piece of anarchy that comes and goes like a steam train. For some reason it brings to mind The Macc Lads for me.
Rounding out the album we’re shifted back into the realms of metal with Still They Lurk, as it grinds its way to its conclusion, before the punkish humour and attitude we saw in Chubby Love returns in Witch Flights and Sexy Nights.
As I mentioned above, I approached this album with some trepidation, but was more than pleasantly surprised at the way it managed to wrap itself around my ears with its attitude and nature. It has a charm and character that you will only get from a band of this type. The production is very loose and sounds like it was recorded in one take by the three of them in a room. Is that a complaint? I don’t know. There’s something about this down and dirty production that kind of sits well on this album. Everything could be so much cleaner and brighter but would you then lose the whole character of it? That’s something only you can decide.
Inferno Interceptor is available internationally now through High Roller Records.
Rating: 7/10
Track Listing:
1. Overnight Sacrifice
2. Night of the Scream Queen
3. Institor
4. Storm of the Usurper
5. Chubby Love
6. Still They Lurk (In the Shadows of War)
7. Witch Flights & Sexy Nights
8. The Escape
Bunker 66 are:
Damien Thorne – Bass/Vocals
Bone Incenerator – Guitars
Desekrator of the Altar – Drums
LINKS:
www.facebook.com/bunker66
www.myspace.com/bunker66
