MAIDENHEAD - Maximum Clonage

Across eight tracks, the Massachusetts/Rhode Island outfit deliver a collision of old school thrash & death metal, w/ technical playing that never tries hard at showing off. Enter the Killing Floor establishes the rules - fast, hostile & tightly controlled, w/ cold textures giving the attack a sharp af edge.

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Guitarists Zack Roberts & Vance Simmons are absolute weapons to say the least. Riffs land fast without any shapelessness, whilst the lead work adds plenty of melodic bite. Guest spots are equally well chosen. Glen Drover tears into False Masked Hero, while Chris Poland brings his unmistakable fluid style to Kill Or Be Killed.

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Zeping “Bella” Song is yet another major strength. Her vocals cut through dense arrangements w/ a sharp delivery that occasionally drops into darker death metal territory. Andre Forero’s drumming keeps everything moving w/ discipline, while Rich Gray’s session bass work adds thundering weight beneath the guitars.

The big surprise for us arrives at the end. Hasta La Proxima abandons the full speed assault for a melodic instrumental finale, complete w/ trumpet, giving the album a little room to breathe without undermining what came before.

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Production from Randy Burns gives Maximum Clonage the right balance of old school character. Nothing is unnecessarily polished, & nothing ever gets lost in the mix.

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Maidenhead have gone & made a record that aligns w/ their ethos. Fast, aggressive, technical & gloriously old fashioned, Maximum Clonage is built for destroying speakers after repeated listens on maximum volume.

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Treat yourself.

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SCORE 9/10

Words by LearnTwoExist

In collaboration with Headbangers Australia

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