Artist - A Taste For Murder
Album - Italian Girls (The Best in the World)
Label - High Fidelity Records (2004)
Reviewer - Marc Halverson
A Taste For Murder is one of Portland’s best kept secret. This quintet delivers with a unique sound that is, “fast paced, guitar driven, and melodic metal, with ground breaking breakdowns…You will even hear influences of old school Iron Maiden as well,” (According to drummer, Coty Landauer). Fans of Darkest Hour, Terror, and The Warriors, will definitely dig A Taste For Murder.
“Italian Girls (The Best in the World) opens with the heavy hitting and drum based, ‘Rosario.’ The song is melodically reminiscent of Killswitch Engage but definitely has its own distinct A Taste for Murder sound to it. Next, ‘Momentum’ is a fast track that continues to build and then breaks into an earth shattering breakdown that will set off any pit when they play it live. Tracks like ‘Reflections’, ‘Ripples To Waves’, ‘Open Invitation’ (most diverse song on the album), display a more melodic tone but then transition into full out assaults with precise drumming, sick breakdowns, and chants of unity that bring Biohazard and Terror to mind. ‘Gone Hollywood’, ’13 Rounds of Hope, Love and Respect’ and ‘Allegiance’ all hit hard and you can definitely hear Iron Maiden in the guitar work, but none the less, each song jams ATFM style with hardcore breakdowns. The album closes with ‘Bad News Bears’, which is one of the fastest and heaviest tracks on the album. It showcases blistering guitars with solid drumming and bass lines, compounded with brutal vocals.
A Taste For Murder deserves the utmost respect from the underground hardcore scene here in the northwest. They bring the intensity, the attitude, and play the breakdowns that make the crowds go insane. Look out for ATFM to be playing local shows and touring the northwest in early 2005.
A Taste For Murder is:
Rvi Alvarez - Guitar
Scott Thomason – Vocals
Razor (Jeff) – Bass
Chief (Eric) – Guitar
Coty Landauer - Drums
