Album Review: Shrapnel – Palace For The Insane (Candlelight Records)

Formed in 2009, Shrapnel have been on a campaign of destruction ever since. From the blistering underground EP No Saviours through to the 10th anniversary release in 2019, Decade of Decimation, the band has grown from strength to strength with no intention of slowing down.

Palace For The Insane marks Shrapnel’s first recorded venture as a four-piece. Their first album recorded in collaboration with Samuel Turbitt of Ritual Sound Studios.

Palace For The Insane lives up to its title with Shrapnel’s trademark extreme aggression remaining a fundamental part of their sound, but this time around they exhibit vastly more dynamism, versatility and newly-refined song writing skills.

We wanted to step out of our comfort zone a little this time round, says lead guitarist Nathan Sadd. We knew we could pound out 10 relentless thrash songs fairly easily, but we wanted the challenge of writing a really memorable, diverse record. We wanted to write songs. I think we achieved that. The album definitely contains the most memorable and hooky stuff we’ve ever written, while still being thrashy and brutal.

It will be released on May 15th 2020 via Candlelight Records.

At its core, Palace for the Insane is a thrash metal album. That much is clear once Might of Cygnus gets galloping away. However, there is also a noticeable shift to a more dynamic style of heaviness. One that has a fair bit more variety to the heavy brutality of what Shrapnel distil for the most part.

For starters there’s a bunch more hooks and a bunch more rhythmic head-bangers. This is the evolution of Shrapnel, one where they’ve taken the best bits of their previous shell and incorporated it into their new form. A form that brings such excellent heavy hitters as Salt the Earth, Cannibal, Bury Me Alive and Infernal Choir.

As a unit, Shrapnel are playing out of their skins here. The drums are hammered as if they owe money, the guitars as sharp a slasher’s machete and the vocals spitting blistering fire.

When you’re this hot, there is no way you’re not putting out quality and Palace for the Insane is quality.

Shrapnel – Palace for the Insane Full Track Listing:

1. Might Of Cygnus
2. Salt The Earth
3. Vultures Circle
4. Cannibal
5. Begin Again
6. Bury Me Alive
7. Turn Off The Lights
8. Infernal Choir
9. The Mace
10. Violent Now, Forever
11. Future Sight
12. Palace For The Insane

Links

Pre-order | Facebook | Twitter | Big Cartel | Candlelight | YouTube