Screams of the Violated was initially unleashed back in 2012 through Headsplit Records. However, in the time after it’s release, the five-piece Portland, Oregon black/thrash metal group Cemetery Lust found themselves signing with Hells Headbangers for last year’s Orgies of Abomination. This debut from the self-proclaimed “rape thrash” group will find itself reissued early September of this year on compact disc and vinyl to further promote their filthy, sexually depraved ways, not to mention satanic undertones. But is this an effort worth being given a second chance, or is it only as vile as the band’s own self-promoting hype makes it out to be?

Much like any release anywhere in the black metal underground nowadays, Screams of the Violated stands as a fairly analog sounding effort reminiscent of the more violent or technical sounding thrash releases of the eighties. The guitars have a decent blunter edge to them, the drums are a bit distant with a far more natural sounding presence, and the bass is akin to a dull roar that provides enough of a back bone to keep the slightly higher pitched music grounded. The vocals are a little louder than the rest of the music, though surprisingly absent of a heavy echo effect commonly used for the era the audio quality is aiming for with the style the band is performing. It’s a nice change that doesn’t really hurt anything. In fact, it only adds to the sharper tendencies during the tighter blackened segments, grinding blast beats, and general vile presence one might expect from the likes of Ghoul.

While there’s a heavy death metal presence surrounding the band’s music, much of the album takes from the early days of bands like Kreator, Slayer, and even Annihilator at times. The latter, crossed with the likes of Cretin, is something that crops up during “Throw the Switch”, having riffs in the main verses similar to the chorus of “Phantasmagoria”, while the two-step filled chorus shows off some So-Cal influence, something not limited to just this track. “Sexual Maniac” jumps between aggressive thrash to having a heaping dose of crossover, not to mention a creepy doom-laden chunk about two-and-a-half minutes in. The bass also comes through tuned down to the point where it sounds like bones rattling, enhancing the creepy stalker vibe quite well. But then “Black Angels of Hell” kicks in with more of a Venom tinged thrash and death metal output, as well as a gritty bit of glory later on.

Screams of the Violated brings together a wide mixture of black, thrash, and even death metal influence. For the most part, it’s good, but nothing that really stands out. There are plenty of times were the riffs can sound similar to one another, not to mention like early Slayer with two-step thrown in try to further the divide between them. There’s also the issue of the band sounding like they’re holding back a bit for the sake of those homages. So many times you wait for a falsetto to compliment the tension the band has built, but you only obtain that payoff once briefly during “Possessed Confessions”. As far as the whole “rape thrash” angle they allude to (or so the press release claims they do) goes, the song’s graphic lyrical content is no worse than a Cretin album, or the circumstances surrounding an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Cemetery Lust‘s debut outing is a noble attempt, though holds little other than solid musicianship to really keep the listener coming back beyond the first handful of spins.

Digital review copy of this release provided by Hells Headbangers.