Formed in the easy to pronounce and even easier to spell town of Mezőkovácsháza, Hungarian act Ektomorf has been steadily plugging away with their particular brand of Groove Metal/Thrash since 1993. Either oblivious or simply unconcerned with being compared to Brazilian thrashers, Sepultura, at every turn, the band seem happy enough to continue ploughing their own determined little furrow with a minimalist approach towards experimentation or progression.

Powerful, crunching rhythms, choppy Nu-Metal breakdowns, and Andreas Kisser style guitar solos are their forte, and with new album Fury (AFM) the band clearly see no reason to alter their approach. With only founder member Zoltán Farkas left from the original line-up, the band these days is made up of guitarist Szebasztián Simon, drummer Dániel Szabó, and bass player Attila Asztalos, who must be at least a little disappointed that his playing is rendered almost inaudible in the mix due to the low end being provided predominantly by the down-tuned guitars.

Songs like opener ‘The Prophet of Doom’, ‘AK47’, ‘Infernal Warfare’, and closer ‘Skin Them Alive’ are fast-paced, furious thrashers suitable for sticking on your earphones when you need to angrily run after an early departing bus. Mid-paced chuggathons like ‘Bullet In Your Head’, ‘Faith and Strength’, and ‘Tears of Christ’ are why the band are continually compared to Sepultura, and the simple staccato riffs and vocals of ‘Blood For Blood’, and the title track are perfect examples of why websites like Metal Archives continue to, somewhat unfairly, disavow the band, claiming them to be unworthy of inclusion due to their Nu Metal leanings.

Comprising ten succinct cuts with a combined length of around thirty-five minutes, Fury‘s brevity is its foremost attribute, as it never gives you a chance to become distracted. It’s powerful, uncomplicated riffs drive the album forward, and Farkas’s vocals never deviate from a state of anger, bitterness or rage. There’s nothing here you won’t have heard before, especially if you’re familiar with Supercharger (Roadrunner) era Machine Head, but it really doesn’t matter as any feeling of déjà vu or overfamiliarity is always kept in balance by a strong sense of sincerity.

7.0/10

GARY ALCOCK