Release on: 28th October 2026 (reissue.)
It has been eighteen years since the initial release of The Reawakening, and for those eighteen years only one name has remained synonymous with gabber and metal. The Berzerker. The bands’ fifth and, to this day, ultimate album is their most poppy. And, not in the commercial made for radio sense.
To quote the talented James Rolfe, what were they thinking? With the snare [percussive – Ed] on this beast; Lars Ulrich called, he wants his [tube of crisps packaged in a cylinder] back. It could very well be the mix but it sounds more like a wood block than a drum. The likes of which has not been heard since 2002’s Dissimulate. And, if you were looking to pick a fight you could say that Metallica took the idea for the snares pop and applied it to St. Anger. Without proper attribution too, which is fine for Mr. Napster-killer but why. But why, after the reception of said drum try to double down and claim it once again.
The prominence of the snare detracts from what is a riff filled, groove laden; jam packed feast for heaviness– a violent insurgence of blast beats and vociferous guitar riffs. Woody Wood Pecker Checker on the mixing desk really done this album dirty because this album is a lot of fun. But, man is it hard to listen to as it mostly sits behind the rata-tat-tat of an obnoxious snare.
It is a real pity what became of The Berzerker; anger at exploitative trends that in hindsight only got worse. And, it is good to see artists standing up for integrity; people over products is a sentiment easy to go along with. That snare though? No. Nil poins.
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