Pitch Black - Hate Division

Writing that Pitch Black is one of the most underrated Portuguese acts would be a terrible cliché that probably manifests a compassion that these five fellows don’t need and never asked for.
Their debut full-length “Thrash Killing Machine” from 2005 might not have raised their name into the upper echelons of modern thrash-metal, despite all the glowing reviews, but that haven’t stopped Pitch Black from going back to studio and record a sophomore work that sounds meaner, fiercer and downright more intense than its predecessor.
With the current slew of thrash bands going back to the past for inspiration, making records that sound like we’ve travelled back in time, Pitch Black have forged their brand of aggressive thrash-metal with the consistency and wisdom of modern days without obliterating that raw savagery from their old-school roots.
Just like its name or the fearful panzer that adorns the front-cover, “Unleash the Hate” bursts in full power mode with a blatant disregard for clemency, guitarists Álvaro Fernandes and Ricardo Martins cast flesh-ripping riffs with surgical precision while fill-in vocalist Hugo Andrade from Switchtense distils pure vitriolic hate through his vocals chords. It’s only on the fourth track “Enemy Siege” that Pitch Black slows down the pace and gives listeners a pause for breath with a slow-driven riff that reminds me of Slayer’s “Seasons in the Abyss”, before breaking into the usual sonic pandemonium. “One of Them” is a real head-nodding groover, offering some bruising breakdowns and a mid-paced and beefy riffery.
Although “Hate Division” is still fairly confined to genre boundaries, it’s superbly executed and offers a tremendous amount of energy and passion. This is an album many would be proud of. (7.8/10)

Band info: www.myspace.com/pitchblackattack
Label info: www.myspace.com/recitalrecords