Cessation of Life

Path of Totality

Self Financed 2008

Much has been made of the thrash revival going on these days and there are tons of cookie cutter bands glutting the scene.  However California's Cessation of Life is not one of them.  On their fourth full-length album, Path of Totality, they display a taste for and a reference to bands more in the vein of Dark Angel and Meliah Rage Giving them a "tougher" and somewhat harder edge than a lot of their contemporaries.  Murder in the Pit and Waiting for the End clench their fists around heavy, meaty riffs while the classy leads of Marty are a nice contrast in emotions.  Life in Camarillo utters acrobatic guitar rhythms that would do Megadeth proud.  Necropolis gallops forward like a horseman of the apocalypse while crunching guitar riffs induce neck snapping convulsions.  Whereas Reason to Live slows things down for a groovier rock vibe tipping their hands towards a more personal and emotional connection.  My favorite track on the album has to be Untranquil Seas where a frantic plea for salvation from the merciless sea is mirrored by churning guitar riffs and storming drums.  Chris Violence's vocals have a very burly presence to them at times reminding me of Zetro Souza (Exodus) and Mike Munro (Meliah Rage).  Justin's bass lines are smooth and almost jazzy at times and I love the tone he uses on them.  Just listen to his intense high-wire act on the instrumental Ignorance and Apathy.  I am not a big fan of the drum production on this release as the feel too sharp and crisp and sort of mechanical feeling.  On Path of Totality, Cessation of Life adds a gritty realism and exhibits a tough street persona.  Some truly memorable and interesting thrash is the result and the listener is immediately grabbed by the shattered collarbone.