Lipid - The Perfect Killing Machine

It is a wonder when bands put out an album, go silent for nearly 2 decades, and then suddenly pop back up on the map. This is the case for Denmark’s Thrash Metal band Lipid, a 4 piece that started up in 1995 and put out their debut in 2006 but have been subtly quiet ever since. Relatively unknown in the Metal world, Great Dane Records have picked up their release of “The Perfect Killing Machine” back from March of 2023, and the result is pretty solid. While not a re-invention of the band itself since 2006, one could say they’ve gone more of a Thrash Groove route if anything with plenty of stomp and very catchy riffs. It isn’t quite Slayer or Exodus worship, but like a mix of Testament and Disbelief and even a touch of Paradise Lost (if they ever decided to go the Thrash route during the early 2000s). The throaty barks off of ‘Dead for the Rest of Your Life’ somewhat imitate Nick Holmes off of “Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us,” but it is the riffs that will really draw listeners in. Not quite a furious storm, the chugging catchiness will remind listeners a little of Dew Scented, but the mid paced crawl throughout the song is still enjoyable and the solo kicks in with a faster, more ‘Thrash oriented’ approach. But, overall expect a lot of the album to be almost a Hatebreed Hardcore chug fest with the way it plays out (if Hatebreed had a more Melodeath tinge to it, that is). Lots of the same riffs with bursts of relief from the vocals, drums, and solos. For fantastic drum moments, check of the pulse on ‘Before the Storm’ which carries along much like an Amon Amarth track.

Production has also been upped since the band’s last record. Revisiting “Deliver Us From Evil” one can hear that the album sounds a little rougher. The drums especially have that rapid typical Thrash tap to them. Here on “Killing Machine” the drums especially sound louder and thicker. Everything sounds louder, which makes it a much heavier album, even if it sounds a little slowed down. The way the riffs and drums pound away at the ear certainly shows that Lipid has improved since their debut thankfully. Not quite a reinvention, but still a step up from the typical. That’s not to say that Lipid doesn’t have their dosage of melody. ‘Wreck of the Past’ features some fantastic Melodic Death Metal inspired solos that bring a bit more liveliness to the music. The same can be said for ‘Imagination of the Fake’ which is one of the slower tracks, and while the riffs and drums are a little repetitive, the guitar solos are very welcome when they overtake everything. Again, a very thick, pounding sound with plenty of groove as Lipid still knows how to craft a hook driven riff. For those looking for a more melodic approach overall, ‘Ominous Symphony’ is a short instrumental that is full of acoustic guitar, atmosphere, and a very dramatic, morose tone that feels more like the introduction to an Insomnium album versus a typical Thrash approach. While very basic and not quite flourishing, again it shows Lipid are willing to expand beyond the usual Thrash box that so many other bands tend to keep themselves in.

The only track that doesn’t quite seem to fit (maybe due to the production on it) is the rougher ‘Fragments of Eternity.’ Back in 2019 the band released an EP with the same title, and it sounds like the music is rougher, almost more demo like. Whether this is a bonus track or not, it is a bit faster and more Thrash oriented, but missing the impact of the Groove Metal elements from some of the other tracks. Maybe it is the tone of the drums which are not as thunderous, but at least the melodic guitar solos come in clear. A bit more Children of Bodom “Are You Dead Yet” sound coming from this, but that album was always more riff punchy and much less melodic than what they put out, so Lipid has a close comparison. In short, the overall album does go by quick with 7 tracks, but each track just punches and leaves a mark. Aside from the instrumental to soften things up, each one is pretty memorable despite being all similar with the chugging approach of the riffs. It is nice to hear a Thrash band that doesn’t quite follow the formula of the usual big 4 and instead opts for something that bounces between genres but doesn’t quite sound so avant-garde that listeners won’t know what to think. “The Perfect Killing Machine” is a short, but energetic listen for those who like Thrash, Groove Metal, or Groove Hardcore that injects some excellent Melodeath driven solos to break up the head banging riffs.

3.5 / 5 STARS