Himsa – Summon In Thunder
Century Media - CM77670-2 - 17th September 2007
By Axemaiden
Himsa are a five-piece Seattle-based thrash/speed metal band whose blend of violent and angry music has made them well known and well respected throughout the heavy metal genre. Their name (for those who don’t know this) is a reverse of the Sanskrit word meaning ‘peace and harmony’ and to be honest this antithesis sums up
Himsa’s work perfectly.
When I first listened to
Summon in Thunder, I was in an astoundingly furious and violent rage, and the relentless brutality of their music suited my foul mood beautifully. The album is great and definitely deserves the acclaim that it has been awarded. If you have not experienced
Himsa before,
Summon in Thunder is a blend of brutal thrash metal guitars, bringing to mind bands such as
The Haunted (which is no real surprise as Tue Madsen of
The Haunted had a big hand in mixing the album), heavy, heavy drum assaults which recall those of death metal bands such as
Nile and
Meshuggah, some distinctly
Carcass style riffs and a little bit of Dimebag thrown in for good measure! The production is excellent on this album, especially regarding the drums and guitar work, and it’s pretty obvious that every member of
Himsa have pushed themselves hugely with this latest release. In my opinion the best tracks are
‘Big Timber’, which is perfectly brutal,
‘Skinwalkers’, which showcases a lighter more melodic side of
Himsa whilst not losing any of the heaviness which has made them famous and
‘Summon in Thunder’, which has some truly fantastic drum beats.
There are only two real problems I can find with the album. The first is, it would be nice to see the vocal range being expanded a little from the roaring assault which is Johnny Pettibone’s signature style; he’s got a fantastic voice and I would like to hear what else he could do with it! The second point is that although
Himsa are increasing vastly in musical talent with each album they release, I still don’t think they have fully reached their potential and fully developed their own unique style; a lot of their old school influences are still very obvious. This is however an album still worth owning, and a band well worth watching.
Official Himsa Website
Official Century Media Website
