CONTORSION – The Children Of The Snake

Swiss Heavy Metal outfit Contorsion has released their six-song EP, The Children Of The Snake on September 15, 2023, as an independent release.

Bio

Formed in the summer of 2004, Contorsion emerged from Switzerland as a thrash metal powerhouse. Founders Marc Torretti (guitar) and Mättu Eschmann (drums) added Dani Bürkli (bass),  Sime Freiburghaus, and Luca Rossi to the ranks on guitars to complete the lineup. Marc transitioned to become the lead vocalist, and the band began burning down stages with their powerful performances, supporting notable bands such as One Man Army And The Undead Quartet, Born From Pain, Cataract, and GurD. Their first full-length album, Solace Through Lies, arrived in January 2010, distributed by NonStop Music Records. Post-release, the band saw a member change as Luca Rossi departing and Tom Steiner joining the ranks.

Contorsion released their second full-length album, Planet Parasite, in March 2014. This record, featuring new guitarist Jon Schnider, showcased an expansion in their sound with critical lyrics addressing issues such as pollution, war, and control/tracking of activities. Tom Steiner left the band in 2013, replaced by Jon Schnider. Their third album, U.Z.N., released in 2017, marked their most diverse offering yet, with unique comic artwork illustrating the zombification of mankind due to excessive social media and mobile phone usage. In 2019, Thrash Metal Domination was released as Contorsion took a direction to a more detailed sound and a more melodic approach to solos and vocals. In 2020, Ralf Luz joined the band as the bassist as the band was writing music for their latest EP, “The Children Of The Snake,” which they recorded at SOS Basement Studios in 2022.

Children Of the Snake

The album kicks off with the title track, “Children of the Snake”. Right off the bat with the pounding of the high hat, the album takes off with a mid-tempo intro transitioning to full-speed thrash. For those of you not familiar with Contorsion, the band’s sound is a cross between Exodus and Testament. Tracks “Ghosts of Death” and “Son of a Bitch”, drop the tempo a few notches to a chunky Traditional Metal track that maintains a perfect tempo for fist-raising and head-banging. Freiburghaus and Schneider complement each other very well throughout the EP with enjoyable and good riffs. Eschmann’s drumming is solid throughout the EP adding in some good fills in “Children of the Snake” and “Son of a Bitch”. Luz’s bass playing sounds solid but is not very prominent as it feels a bit drowned out by the guitars.

Lyrically, the 6-track EP showcases a more mature and detailed approach. The title, “The Children of The Snake”, is based on a fictional narrative about nightmares. This chilling tale tells of children who, led by a snake, pursue you relentlessly in your dreams. Beyond this haunting title track, the other songs explore diverse topics. Some confront the harsh realities of pollution and betrayal. The closing track, “Thrash 4 Life” salutes many of the top thrash songs from all of the heavy hitters within the genre such as Testament, Slayer, Metallica, etc.

Final Thoughts

Contorsion did a good job with this EP but needs improvement on the mixing. The chorus of some of the songs can get a bit repetitive with lyrical cliches overdone a bit but still kicks ass. Children of the Snake is the perfect example of how Thrash Metal is still relevant in 2023.

Tracklisting

1. Children Of The Snake
2. Ghost of Death
3. Liar
4. Son Of A Bitch
5. Human Cancer
6. Thrash 4 Life

Album Lineup

Marc Torretti – Vocals
Simon Freiburghaus – Guitars
Jon Schneider – Guitars
Ralf Luz – Bass
Matthias Eschmann – Drums