Confess - Revenge At All Costs

Labels: Rexius Records

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 21 Jan 2022

Tracklist:

1. Based On A True Story...

2. EVIN

3. Phoenix Rises

4. Ransom Note

5. You Can't Tame The Beast!

6. Unfilial Son

7. Megalodon

8. Under Surveillance

9. Hegemony

10. Army Of Pigs!

11. I Speak Hate

With the backlash to the current football world cup taking place in Qatar and the human rights atrocities being left unpunished in various countries around the world, it takes brave people to speak out. Nikan Khosravi and Arash Ilkhani are two such people, having fled their native Iran following persecution and unjust prison sentences. They were offered asylum in Norway in 2018, where they have resided ever since and earlier this year they released Confess's third full-length Revenge At All Costs, with the help of drummer Roger Tunheim Jakobsen.

The message behind this album is all too real, as opener ‘Based On A True Story…’ shows with news/media samples spliced together alongside snippets of Confess’s groove/thrash metal. It’s already a very harrowing listen and it focuses on the band’s experiences of the Iranian legal/prison system, which is something many of us won’t even be able to comprehend. ‘EVIN’ is the first time you hear their music in true anger. EVIN is known as one of Iran’s harshest prisons and it’s picture is painted by Confess here. There’s a nod to bands like Fear Factory, Sepultura and Slipknot in a sound that’s also littered with Arabic influences (although subtle). 

Unsurprisingly though, there is also plenty of Norwegian melo-death influence that’s prominent during ‘Phoenix Rises’, especially thanks to the excellent drumming of Roger Tunheim Jakobsen. It has so much groove and impact, with the addition of Arash’s DJ’ing and Nikan’s hard-hitting guitar work. There’s a massive slab of thrash metal injected into ‘Ransom Note’ and it continues the up-tempo nature of the album.

The pace I mentioned above is only one part of this album’s draw, as Confess really hit their musical stride on ‘You Can’t Tame The Beast!’. The song makes use of different time-signatures and riff patterns, making it appear doomier with a hint of traditional heavy metal peeking through in the mix. The midpoint of Revenge At All Costs comes courtesy of ‘Unfilial Son’, where things get a bit more off-kilter and the bass guitar adds much more heft.

The aptly named ‘Megalodon’ is a shining example of well-written and performed groove metal. The sub-genre is sometimes maligned but Confess show that when it’s done right, it’s really enjoyable. ‘Under Surveillance’ follows on immediately after in very similar and urgent fashion. There’s a more technical edge to the band during this second-half and it’s great to hear, with the final sixty seconds of ’Under Surveillance’ being especially so. 

On ‘Hegemony’, things go back in a more traditional direction again and even though it’s one of the album’s longer songs, it still contains plenty of bite and atmosphere, without hampering momentum. There’s no doubt who ‘Army Of Pigs!’ is aimed at and the anger within it is palpable. Closing with ‘I Speak Hate’, Confess makes one final statement of intent and shows their resilience, which has been born out of their past experiences at the hands of an oppressive regime.

Revenge At All Costs hits the spot with it’s no nonsense approach and Confess have really harnessed their rage perfectly. It’s musically strong too, making it a great listen throughout.

You can stream and purchase the album both digitally, and on CD below:-

Confess - https://www.facebook.com/confessbandIR

Rexius Records - https://www.facebook.com/RexiusRecords