With excellent death metal releases coming out of the woodwork in their dozens these days, it’s hard to pick which ones will prove the most potent. Never fear, for here comes TENET with their thrashing, deathened debut opus Sovereign that may run a mere nine songs deep, but kicks enough bunghole to leave the listener constipated till October. Being a side project originally conceptualized by Strapping Young Lad guitarist Jed Simon way back when, TENET has since grown to include former Exodus singer Steve “Zetro” Souza and Simon’s own crew from Strapping, notably Glen Avelais, Gene Hoglan, and Byron Stroud.
Cracking this can of aural whupass open with bare fists and jagged riffs, Being And Nothingness introduces the band’s propensity for numbing decibels. Matters only make a turn for the worse on the crunching melody that drives the malevolent Indulge Me. Still in touch with their roots in thrash metal, gang style backing vocals come alive at Crown Of Thorns only to make way for the jackhammer pace of Unnamable which is a high water mark of sorts for this album. Take A Long Line keeps the band’s momentum going past four solid tunes whose bare bones approach still comes with a few seconds’ worth of choice guitar solos. It’s a treat for metalheads of every stripe.
TENET’s furious pace relaxes a bit for the schizophrenic twists and turns of Going Down, where Souza manages to deliver his best cartoon villain imitation. There’s just something about this guy’s voice that’s equal parts childlike and disgusting, as if he were an ogre whose every utterance causes slimy slick saliva to drip from his moth. You get the picture. Rather than slow down for the remainder of their debut, electrifying speed energizes Hail Hail! but the band have side to themselves that loves the epic stuff, so guitar wankery on the scale of Spinal Tap takes over halfway through. For the vitriolic Watching You Burn the bare bones melody and precision-guided percussion of Gene Hoglan keep matters interesting enough for the listener to note how fans of Holy Moses, Lamb Of God, and Sodom are well served by this release. As the title track closes the album on a harsh note, TENET’s relevance as a super group is established. These guys kick major ass in every department, be it blazing guitar solos or touches of bombast. What happens to them next is anyone’s guess.