When ChaosFear’s manager got in touch with me, asking Sacred Embrace to review the Brazilian band’s debut, I leapt at the chance—after listening to some song samples, I was quickly immersed in their brand of Thrash Metal. Though the band is a mere trio (consisting of: Fernando Boccomino, guitar and vocals; Danilo de Freitas, Drums; Anderson de França, Bass), they are full of energy and conviction and definitely warrants investigation.

ChaosFear began in 1999, originally titled Sick Mind; under that moniker they released a successful self-titled demo. After de França stepped in, the band changed their name to ChaosFear, releasing another demo, “Inside the Extreme World” (2004). You can download the full demo here. Finally the band began discussing the possiblity of a full-length; now, in 2006, it has come to fruition! Unfortunately for the band, it is self-released and is having trouble being distributed internationally… I am honoured to be one of the few Canadians in possession of this awesome little album!

The press release states that their concentration is on creating ‘honest music,’ which despite its vagueness is actually quite appropriate. While I’ve sometimes been wishy-washy about Thrash (I often like the music but don’t care for the vocals), I have to say I’m impressed with ChaosFear as a whole. While remaining faithful to their ‘root’ genre (Thrash), their vocals are on the cusp on Death, which makes it easier for me to digest. The songs are well-crafted and obviously much care and attention is paid to the structure of the pieces.

ChaosFear experiments a lot with pacing, so although the album is generally at a fast tempo, it doesn’t feel formulaic or redundant. They’ve left a lot of breathing room which gives the quicker parts more emphasis. From blasting, screaming and aggressive to discordant breakdowns to catchy and headbang-inducing, “One Step Behind Anger” is eight songs of solid, varied Metal.

The aggressive, ‘honest’ music fits the lyrics to a tee; lyrical themes run along the feelings of being forced to exist in a certain way within the boundaries in society and breaking out of that mold. The lyrics, “Tearing human minds / Reconstructing our thoughts” (from “Incongruous Possession”) and “I will deny these values / Stand up and fight!” (from the title track) are two good examples of this attitude. The lyrics are frustrated but oddly encouraging, on top of which are generally well-written.

Stand out tracks include the opening “Hard Time for the Wrong Man,” “Denied Rights” and the title track. “Minds Temptation” makes me air drum at my desk like an idiot, while “Incongruous Possession” kind of sneaks up on you—with an unassuming start, it explodes into another unforgettable, aggressive track. I’ve been listening to this album for days and keep finding new ways to enjoy it. I send out my most sincere congratulations to the band! “One Step Behind Anger” is really worth investigating. * Clare B. *