Gig review: 31/10/02 (Pub "le Prevert"-Douai, France). NIHILISTIC Newsletter.

It's the second SCARVENGER's gig I've got the opportunity to see (the previous one was their rather convincing set during the fest of the music in Douai). Even if this gig was in a small pub, the room was well filled with about 50-60 individuals.
SCARVENGER still plays a Death/ Thrash with Heavy touches reminding me of DEATH for several influences: the rhythm guitars going from Death to heavy metal, some riffs with an aggressive side that's quite near of Heavy metal (such as DEATH on "Symbolic" for exemple)... They own some good gut tripping tremolo riffs that can remind of DEATH (AAARRRGH!), the old SEPULTURA releases or a bit of PESTILENCE, and one must say that Ch'blond (the guitarist/ vocalist- ex KROMADEATH) has got a good tremolo riffing! His vocals are also quite near of Death. Their style is in a well old school style and it's agreably variating from all the Brutal death bands à la CANNIBAL CORPSE that want to be more Brutal and complex than the others; SCARVENGER's style is nevertheless qui technical and interesting for the musicians ( as well as for the others) and the guitarist succeeds in playing tightly his riffs while doing a good scene set!
Even if the band wasn't sonorised because of mixing table problems, the sound was satisfying (quite clear and powerfull, I've heard well all the riffs). The fact they hadn't got a bassist this day was felt in the most melodic parts or when the guitarist went in the higher notes (their previous bassist left them), but in anyway SCARVENGER remains a rather convincing band. The metalheads that were here seemed to have appreciated the dozen of tracks (one could have noticed a few headbangings). I'm waiting for their first recording that should see the light during the following weeks.