Slabber - Apocryphal Diary (2021)

It has been over three years since their previous release, and Italy’s Slabber are back with APOCRYPHAL DIARY. The band is on the Punishment 18 label and the cover art is from Yan Sek. I asked about the unusual name ‘Slabber’ – and apparently it’s from a mixture of Italian and English that came out ‘Slabbrato’… I still don’t get it but we’ll just chalk it up as being cool and lost in translation.

The band’s sound is described simply as heavy metal. If I had to sum this album in one word it would be ‘energy’ – I bet these guys are fun to see live. I can’t quite put a finger on it but the music has an old-school type vibe, though the sound and riffing is definitely modern. The opening track “Time of Boredom” is a good example. You can tell it’s new but it still sounds classic – if that makes sense. “Insane Attack” and “Bell Does Ring” keep up the intensity.

“Dirty Hands” is probably my favorite so far; it has some unusual structure changes and isn’t a typical heavy metal song. Next is the instrumental “Mashup”, and I always enjoy it when bands give us the occasional instrumental song. This one is done really well, and uses lead guitar to fill in for vocals. This release keeps up the energy from beginning to end, and thankfully there are no lame ballads to skip over.

The production is excellent throughout, and the lyrics deal with themes like mankind being too busy notice that they’re consuming the planet from the inside out. This is a solid release, well worth checking out for fans of heavy metal with some power and thrash elements.