Review SCHIZOPHRENIA ‘Recollection of the Insane’

Hämmerhead was a thrash metal band, hailing from Antwerp, Belgium. The band released two EPs before morphing into Schizophrenia in 2016. After found a new moniker, the quartet launched a first single in 2019, followed by an EP entitled ‘Voices’. The full-length debut was missing to date and the gap will be closed mid-February.

‘Recollection of the Insane’ is the title of these nine songs including longplayer. Schizophrenia is still rooted in thrash metal but added a solid portion of death metal to the mix after their rebranding.

Bands like Sepultura, Death, Slayer and others, these are the influences for the Belgium quartet and those sources of inspiration can all be identified when listening to this debut album.

Schizpohrenia offer a massive riff massacre which is rolled out over 43 minutes. Songs like the brutal and grooving ‘Sea of Sorrow’ don’t reinvent thrash metal but entail such a vehemence that listening to these songs is pure headbangers delight.

The biggest part of the album features songs that are furious, a musical wild horse one can’t tame. Interesting though are the moments when the songwriting capabilities come more to forefront. The six-minute ‘Onward to Fire’ is such a song, that showcases a band that has more to offer the solely extreme speed. There are breaks, solo parts and some twists, all adding to a positive impression at the listener’s end.

Schizophrenia’s debut album is a massive piece of music. All genre trademarks are present on ‘Recollection of the Insane’ and it’s mainly passion and willpower that impresses. I strongly assume that we will hear and see more of this Belgium quartet in the future.