DETRAKTOR – Full Body Stomp

Thrash Metal from German trio, Detraktor. This is their fourth album and it will be released on Massacre Records. Full Body Stomp will be available in a limited edition vinyl as well as a CD Digipak.

The Band

Detraktor was formed in 2016 by Boris Pavlov and Rafael Dobbs in Hamburg, Germany. This new record, Full Body Stomp, is the first album in which new drummer, Pablo Cortez, will be appearing on. Most people might be more familiar with his work as Undercroft’s drummer since 1993. According to the band, adding Pablo to the lineup was an “important and much needed lineup change” that seems to have helped revitalize the group. It’s noticeable in their sound too.

Full Body Stomp

Detraktor is a band that might not be on the radar of many Thrash Metal fans. This is an assumption based on the 234 monthly listeners posted on Spotify’s Detraktor homepage. Those numbers seem extremely low when you actually listen to the band, especially their new album, Full Body Stomp.

Full Body Stomp is the classic mold of a Thrash Metal album reborn from the glory days of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. In fact, the first thought that came to mind when “Gorilla” first started playing was that Detraktor was obviously influenced by some of the masters of classic Thrash Metal kings like Slayer, Pantera and Sepultura. And Boris’s vocals match the intensity of the genre with a deep growl and presence that is reminiscent of Max from Sepultura. Not trying to overstate their sound, that’s just the first comparison that fit while listening to Full Body Stomp. The guitar work on here is very impressive too. The solo that Rafael belts out in “Behave” is not only fast, but technical as well.

Adding some more depth to the record, Detraktor brought in guest vocalist Dirk Weiss (Warpath, Sacrifire) for their cover of “Evilusion,” a song originally done by Undercroft. For those familiar with the original, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference. Vocals and drums are on point and paid homage to the original, the way a cover song should be done.

Overall this is a fantastic album that seems to have broken away from Metal that’s coming out these days. Full Body Stomp not only has that vibe that it should have been produced back in the heyday of Thrash Metal, it sounds like the guys in the band were fed the classics and produced a genuine Thrash Metal album in 2022. This new record of theirs should be in every metalhead’s Spotify rotation or wherever they get their music.

Tracklisting

1. Gorilla
2. Bear Fight
3. Behave
4. Evilusion (Undercroft Cover)
5. Perro
6. I’m The King
7. Seven
8. Revenge
9. Filth Me Up

Album Lineup

Boris Pavlov – Vocals and Bass
Rafael Dobbs – Guitars
Pablo Cortez – Drums