TAUNTED - 9 Sins

The band exists for quite some time now, in fact this release celebrates their 20th anniversary and although being so long in the scene, one would expect a more productive career when it comes to album releases. In fact, their debut was released in 2006 while their second came about three years later. Now, their third releases sees the light of day, and it's a great opportunity to check out the sound of the band. Taunted are from Bay Area, and most probably this place it's a review by itself, since almost all fans know what this means. Yes, the band is playing Thrash Metal, and is doing it in a very cool and groovy way, that all fans of the genre will love. On the other hand, the band is also blending various styles into their Thrash Metal, making it even more diverse and catchy. So, there are the typical Thrash songs, with the killer riffs, and the groove that makes you bang your head along, but along with it, there are various moments where the band is moving towards more Speed Metal forms, and other moments where more melody comes in slowing down things a bit, into a more Power Metal scheme. So, the first thing we notice is riffs. There are tons of them, in all forms and shapes, and are all very good. The next thing, is the incredible vocals of Jacques Serrano, who makes an amazing job here, and no matter if things demand a deep growl, or a high pitched vocal, he's always delivering with the same quality and ease. He's definitely a big plus for the band. An equal great job you will also hear from the rhythm section, either it's the bass lines of Elena Repetto of Imagika, or the performance of Lary Howe of Vicious Rumors, and provide the proper pillars for the music to evolve. The songwriting is also very good, with diversity in music and styles, with enough fresh ideas blending with the traditional Thrash parts, a thing that makes the album interesting from start to finish. If you are into Thrash, then there's plenty to like here.