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!T.O.O.H.! - Order and Punishment

Tuesday, 27 November 2007

Editor's rating

8.3

out of 10

Reviewed by:
Chad Coup
#1 Reviewer
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Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Average user rating: 9.6
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Music Information

Track Listing:
01. Al-Amin (Aneb Jak Vycakat Jelito) (Or How to Get One's Rocks Off)
02. Analyza Zahnedy (Analysis of the Shitstain)
03. Konec Kontinentalniho Kontejneru (Conclusion of the Continental ...)
04. Hanicka: Pribeh Nebozacky (Aneb Co Se Stalo U Slep�ho Koryta) ...
05. Abu-Hassan
06. Rad a Trest (Order and Punishment)
07. Ja Samaritan
08. Padaji, Piskaji
09. To Je Jizda Bozinku
10. Kali

Artist: !T.O.O.H.!
Title: Order and Punishment
Genre: Grindcore • Death Metal
Release Date: 21 February 2006
Record Label: Earache Records
Format: Full-length
Country: Czech Republic
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Editor review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful


Overall rating (weighted)		8.3
Musicianship		8.0
Composition		8.0
Experimentation		9.0
Production		8.0
Value		8.0

This is the biggest musical surprise I've had the pleasure to stumble upon in a while. Fearless webmaster Paul had a stack of promos and he wanted me to rifle through and take some to review. This one stuck out not only because of the creepy cover art, but also the name. How do you pronounce it? Eee-too-hee? Toe? I didn't get it.

I looked at the strange cover again. It looked like a person trying to cover a gaping wound in his head or something. The font wasn't in the spiky, illegible death metal font. Put in the CD. Something like a pig grunt and then a baby scream came out of the speakers. Cue up technical, riffy death metal with plenty of tempo changes. Plus. Enter vocals that sound like an old wizard shouting to dispel a horde of trolls. I didn't hear English language once. There are lots of musical influences from the Middle East and Eastern Europe. I have never heard a strange cocktail like this before. This is all in the first song. These features are in every song.

"Abu-Hassan," my personal favorite track, is equal parts pulverizing death metal with melodic solos and a keyboard-laden outro reminiscent of what space travel might sound like. "Analyza Zahnedy" features both militaristic chanting and a final sound clip of a goat bleating. "Ja Samaritan" has a vocal bit that is like a church choir interspersed with more wizards' shouting. It's all very memorable and certainly original and catchy. It's death metal with an odd, even nerdy, bent. It's pretty schizophrenic by anyone's definition. I hear plenty of humor in the music. I'm not familiar with Czech customs, where the band was based, but it seems these guys are creating comedy death metal. This is not a joke band, but there is certainly an undercurrent of cheekiness throughout.

After copious research, I discovered that this band was called Total Obliteration Of Humanity. Notice my word choice: was. The band is now defunct. This is their last album. The reasons for their break-up, according to the web community, stem from rotten business practices by Earache. The band existed on a few kvlt demos only to have their future smashed by a big, scary label. Thus, the band got a huge cult following. Last time I checked, their web site still is frozen in 2005, announcing plans for a tour and stuff. It's really sad. This band could have been one of the premier foreign death metal groups. Good news for collectors: this album is still moderately easy to find. I'd recommend it to any fan of oddball metal.

Music Information

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Last updated: Tuesday, 08 January 2008

User reviews

Average user rating from: 1 user(s)


Overall rating (weighted)		9.6
Musicianship		10.0
Composition		9.0
Experimentation		10.0
Production		9.0
Value		10.0

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Sunday, 06 January 2008

Written by Standa Brad�c - View all my reviews - Top 50 Reviewer


Overall rating (weighted)		9.6
Musicianship		10.0
Composition		9.0
Experimentation		10.0
Production		9.0
Value		10.0

This album surely is one of the best that come from my country. The thing I enjoy most are lyrics. I am one of the few people here who understand them, so let me talk about them a little. Lyrics are almost gore, funny gore I would say. Some of the songs are translated in the booklet, but most of them are not and I have to say that translating them would be very hard job. It is really vulgar stuff, with lots of local terms and many political comments are well hidden here.
These guys are amazingly good musicians. I have no idea how did they make it if I consider the fact, that they lived in very small village, they had very oldschool equipment but in spite of that all they play like this.
My favorite track is Konec KontinentalniÂho Kontejneru it has very melodic chorus, I love to sing that when I'm in the shower.
It has very nice sound, one of the best in Czech republic, booklet is nice too (maybe too dark, some words are harder to read).

I recommend this CD to everyone who is bored of the music he's usually listening to and who wants to experience something totally different and unique.

btw. some members are still active musicians so czech(check) them out:

- http://www.myspace.com/duobetichomunkulus (2nd guitar and bass)
- http://bandzone.cz/geminigem (brothers Veseli - guitar and drums)

(and please excuse my English, I know there is lot to improve)

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