Album Review: Yatra – Born Into Chaos (Prosthetic Records)

Maryland-based death metallers Yatra resume their savage assault on their new album, Born into Chaos. The band’s fourth, their first for Prosthetic Records, album will be released on June 10th, 2022.

Guitarist/Vocalist Dana Helmuth says:

Born into Chaos is just old-school death metal with some blackened sludge thrown in. That’s our roots, and we went back into it. There are no slow songs anymore and no fuzz. The drumming is all different now—with double bass and blast beats. So, we are really a different band completely. We almost changed our name because we are such a different band now than our first album.

There’s nothing wrong with a bit of evolution, especially when it still results in such a brutal album. Yatra might be taking it back to the old-school but it feels like a fresh face-lift for this band as they spit and snarl their way through eight monstrous heavyweights of heavy noise.

The first really notable moment coming with the chunky rhythm of the title track, something that compels you to head-bang regardless of mood. Though, happily, it’s not the last as we get some thrilling guitar riffs throughout Terminate by the Sword. A track that also varies the tempo, slow and suffocating at times then frantic and wild at others. Then there is the no-nonsense speed and viciousness of Reign of Terror and meaty, gurning thump of instrumentation that Tormentation delivers.

This change that Yatra talk about is clear but it really works to their benefit, even if there are no shortage of ‘old-school’ influenced death metal bands out there. It benefits them because they’re really bloody good at this kind of noise. There isn’t a single track on this album that doesn’t sound evil. Not a single track that doesn’t come with so much weight. Not a single track that doesn’t make you want to roar at the sky and lose yourself in a wild bout of head-banging.

Death metal gold.

Yatra – Born into Chaos Full Track Listing:

1. Death Cantation
2. Born Into Chaos
3. Wrath of the Warmaster
4. Terminate by the Sword
5. Reign of Terror
6. Terrorizer
7. Omens of Fire
8. Tormentation

Links

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