Killing Unit – Killing Unit EP – Album Review
The Rock n’ Roll Hammer has Fallen
Review
Killing Unit
Album: Killing Unit EP
Self-Released
2017
Montreal has always been a hotbed for the heavier side of music and with such renowned luminaries as VOIVOD, DBC, AUGURY and CRYPTOPSY it’s no wonder that four piece, KILLING UNIT fit right in! Their introduction to the Montreal landscape comes with the six-song EP of the same name and hearkens back to the golden age of Classic Heavy Metal with a nice slab of Thrash rolled in. Rollicking, fist-pumping fun is the order of the day and is guaranteed to put a beer-slurping grin on many faces!
“Hammer Patrol” kicks things off with a bang, doing precisely what the title suggests, though with a melodic bridge that immediately hooks the listener and drags them to a hellish chorus. Vocals provided by Stephane Ted Doucet are “yelled” in such a way that James Hetfield himself would be proud of. The NWOBHM assault continues with “La Tête dans L’Cul”, a song entirely sung in French and praising the alcoholic Gods with self-deprecating humor about the foibles in picking up the fairer sex while entirely inebriated. The ode certainly paints a vivid picture and is the perfect soundtrack for friends enjoying a fun night out together slamming some back!
“Killing Unit” is an easy listen that doesn’t demand too much of the listener in terms of musical dexterity. Short, strong, catchy ditties are justifiably penned to get one’s heart-rate up and neck muscles sore the next morning, as evidenced in “Brain Eating Goblins”, although, “Headache” surprises with a tone and determination much more vile than its predecessors. Here, guitarist Marty Martiis and Doucet, chug their way towards an effective aggression that satisfies, while they demonstrate a “stop and go” approach in “Drawn by the Void” that recalls, Mustaine’s, “Sweating Bullets” or any number of toe-tapping gems from AC/DC!
Despite being a rather short ep, Killing Unit’s brand of Metal isn’t reinventing the wheel but is sure to please and is ideal for a rowdy Friday night! So raise the volume, slap on the album and let yourself go….along with the suds!
7.5/10
Standout Tracks: «La Tête dans L’Cul », « Headache »
https://killingunit.bandcamp.com/releases
