With the recent retro thrash revival going on, you'd think bands with over twenty years of experience would be able to do a little more. But some people are just stuck doing what they like, possibly completely unaware of recent developments in the style they play. Or maybe they're just stuck. Beyond Description seem to fit the classic 'Japcore' tag, though they're considered thrash by their own suggestion. In certain ways, they are, but in other ways they're just 'plain old thrash'. Proof of the Truth is only the band's third full-length after all the time they've been playing, which is both shocking and sad considering it only features nine songs and barely runs longer than an EP. This album is proof, proof that sometimes things are just the way they are and there isn't much that can be done.
Look at the Repka-esque cover and you just listened to the entire album. It features a classic thrash scene of a riot condensing on top of what are apparently capitalist pigs (great, not this again), with fires engulfing the city in the background, notably burning up four different monetary symbols on the tops of some of the buildings. What exactly is this mob going to do when the fires die down? They do realize, like this band should, that the dudes they're beating the shit out of are pretty much responsible for the money they make, which they're at the same time destroying? Anyway, that also serves as a nice prelude to discussing the music on Proof of the Truth, mainly because it's isn't very self-aware, or better to say it's so self-aware it isn't aware. Read: thrash to the point that you might not want to bother; bare bones and dusty.
Beyond Description are most certainly exceedingly easy to describe. This is thrash/hardcore done by some Japanese fellows. That pretty much sums it up. If we were doing one-sentence reviews here, this one would be done. None of the hooks are particularly memorable, there are no interesting leads, the drums keep everything fast without any variety, and the sound quality of the production does more harm than good, especially with the dryly layered vocals that sit on top of everything like chronic bronchitis. Ever see those recent COPD commercials with the elephant? Yeah. There's a certain 'exotincess' to the music on Proof of the Truth, but the effect wears off by the second track, and after that the rest feels like filler. There's a brief moment of gloom about midway, but it does little to take away from the ho-hum thrash these guys offer up. Would you like some gravy on your gravy soup? That's right guys, just keep piling it on, thank you. This is by no means a horrible CD, but there's a lot better out there, and unless you're a true thrash fanatic who doesn't mind having a stack of average releases, Proof of the Truth proudly suggests on the cover you burn your money instead of spending it.
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Written by Arkus
