Velozza - Humanity ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
- Jay
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
FOR FANS OF: WARBRINGER, HIDDEN INTENT, ERADICATOR
THRASH-O-METER
★★★★★★★☆☆☆ SONGWRITING
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ LONGEVITY
★★★★★★★☆☆☆ THEMES
★★★★★★★★☆☆ PRODUCTION
★★★★★★★☆☆☆ MUSICIANSHIP
★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ CHARACTER
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ THRASHABILITY
Velozza slashes with the lacerating edge most of the modern thrash bands chase, flirting with the extreme metal tendencies.
The speed is more an implication of the production’s bite than truly blistering velocity - at its core 'Humanity' is a mid-tempo hustle that simply sounds fierce. Still, and because of it, the guitars do serious damage: thick, crunchy chugs delivered with such clenched tension you can practically taste the blood.
The guitars are exactly where they should be - ripping your brain into shreds!
The second track Preach to the Choir really should’ve been the opener - it’s the perfect handshake, packing the traditional snap that’s bound to wake any thrasher on first contact.
But, that's solely for the benefit of us old school geezers left floating in the waters of the Bay Area.
The Useless kicks in with the flare-up rage the album keeps flashing, and it fits the themes of powerlessness and disposability in our hyper-optimised world. For what it’s worth, it might also be the album’s fastest cut.
Thrash with a modern twist
Modern thrash metal can draw from so many tributaries that it ends up sounding unlike any single one of them - and, in a way, that is exactly the modern sound: a polished hybrid with blurred lineage. Its in this very canoe that Velozza sits in.
Thrash is especially prone to this genre cocktail effect
Thrash metal is a high-energy framework that’s challenging to keep under control - let brutality slip in and it slides into death metal, chase complexity and it mutates into the progressive territories. The universal dictator usually are the vocals (with any genre, really) as they tend to pull the whole boat. Joost’s vocals lean into a modern strain of frayed, aggressive bark, giving this thing a very extreme handshake. There are, however, bits where the vocals veer to more traditional waters.
It’s always a joy when thrash gets its priorities right and the guitars sit exactly where they belong: front and center. Velozza's 'Humanity' is a triumph of what an independent release can pull off on a technical level. And, there's certainly fun to be had with 'Humanity' and the fellas do throw in few pivots. That said, an external production perspective could’ve pushed for more contrast as as a whole the album is rather uneventful.
PS. Bands should really ditch the AI slop in the covers. Yeesh.
