One step beyond the veil of death we trip hard on the edge, plunging down into the dark abyss of a mind tasked with questioning reality, purpose and the illusions available to a determined organismal existence as Villa Alemana, Chile-based thrash metal quartet MENTAL DEVASTATION return for a third full-length album, the second part of their psychic procession through self-dissolution and improbable actualization. Four years beyond the first entry their frontage of introspective, technical thrash metal now plows beyond the breach of ego-death as ‘The Delusional Mystery of the Self – Part II‘ arrives in fittingly snaking and severe threads, a record which balances the beauty of enlightened musicianship with the harshened thrall of a true classics-minded attack via brilliant precision. While existing fans will be stoked to find the high standard of Part I applied and expanded herein the mood and motioning of this record should read as choppier waters, a mind set in careening flight amidst treacherously tightened and bristling rhythms, as the band seal this profound exploration with an equally worthy second chapter.

Mental Devastation formed back in 2009 with their sights set on creating traditional thrash metal inspired music which’d originally focused on sociopolitical themes/imagery before focusing on the philosophical concept of the “self” while retaining a perspective of distress and dread. This change was reflected within their music as they’d began incorporating fretless bass and generally more jazz fusion inspired prog-thrash attack into their ouevre. The resulting second LP (‘The Delusional Mystery of the Self – Part I‘, 2021) was notable for its technical edge a la ‘Swallowed in Black‘ (or the first Atheist album) applied to a thrash metal sound rooted in the heavy metal stoked roots of late 80’s Bay Area scenery. This was specifically notably per their semblance of (early) Forbidden via the diction and tone of vocalist/bassist Alejandro Lagos as well as the riff-driven, lead guitar stoked style of main songwriter/guitarist Matías Morales.

In their first ten years of existence the band’d been compared to groups like Vio-lence and (later on) Critical Defiance as (former rhythm guitarist Felipe Espinoza played on ‘Misconception‘) and for good reason, though that second LP was a bit more clear in stating a (high) standard set going forward. It’d been such a leap in terms of skill and songcraft that I was an instant fanatic, rating the experience highly in review before placing it at #43 on my Top 75 Albums of the Year before stating: “In taking a grand, long leap into the more technical and melodic realms of the late 80’s, and side-stepping the flat aggression of the early 2000’s with virtuosic and violent grooves in hand, we see yet another late year masterpiece from the sophisticated pits of the Valparaíso underground.” and needless to say expectations were high for this suggested Part II when it was announced.

Though its production values are slightly changed beyond the previous entry ‘The Delusional Mystery of the Self – Part II‘ is an exacting follow-up to the band’s previous entry, a fitting extension of that technical thrash metal style. Fretless bass, gang-shouts, ripping guitar work and Lago‘s distinct voice carry through to the point that existing fans will gel with this material immediately. There aren’t any particularly surprising moments to be found here beyond Mental Devastation generally matching the efficacy and impact of the previous album though there are a few songs on here which reach beyond ‘Twisted Into Form‘-esque fare into somewhat experimental arrangement. With that said for all intensive purposes we arrive mid-conversation, having fallen from death into a lower level of the psyche as the album opens with a brief instrumental before cracking into “Symbiosis”, one of the more congested yet memorably stated songs on the full listen. Every turn finds its wailing lead guitar flourish, its weaving bassline and all centers around a gang-shout and declared chorus to the point that a sense of centrifugal force is conjured, a piece which whirls in place while the musicians are all popping off throughout.

The next couple of pieces (“Mankind” b/w “Judge and Jury”) are essentially the haul, the core, the meat of the experience in terms of bringing solid progressive/technical thrash metal which variously focuses on throngs of riff or Lago’s vocal presence. In both cases the bones of a speed metal song remain undissected in terms of structural support as the band further lean into the theatrics available to late 80’s Bay Area thrash and early prog-death aggression. This is most evident within the pure heavy metal stature of “Mankind” and the dance of prog-thrash more clearly rolls through “Judge and Jury” but eh, overall if you’ve headed in hoping they still sound like ‘Forbidden Evil‘ and retained that howling heavy metal soul, yes, it is still in full effect and moreso as the album opens with its more immediate pieces.

“Pulsions” of course stands out for its clean group-sung intro which to me of course resembles Hallow’s Eve for a moment before they quickly dig out of that opening moment. Though this is a notable prog-thrash moment from every angle I’d appreciated the despairing lyrics and the consistent introspective perspective sustained as the fretless bass, synths and eerie sprawl of the first half of the piece develops. This is maybe the point where it’d most felt like Mental Devastation were signaling their hand in a progressive metal direction most clearly and not simply extracting ancient technical thrash metal handedness. The swell of the vocals on return, the militant clap of the rhythms alongside, “Pulsions” recalls most directly of the evolution of thrash metal before it was fully culled from mainstream sightlines or given to Dream Theater/Fates Warning style ambitions, the attack is there and their teeth are still showing. While there aren’t as many “arena-sized” thrash metal moments on this album per its increasingly intricate and dynamic-focused arrange there are yet bigger musical ventures here which extend the voice of the band quite a bit.

The late 80’s Mekong Delta-esque grinding chaos of “Primitive Paths” begins to split and sever out of control starting around ~3:45 minutes in as the odd-angled riff breaks and runs on the song evolve into anxious scrambling. This is probably the most jarring experimental hand applied to Mental Devastation‘s sound thus far and while it is unpleasant for all of the clashing elements applied atop a blasting beat it is however something different which successfully reflects the band’s interest in fusion’d forms and a distressed, questioning mental state or some manner of devolution; Beyond that point the eight-minute grand finale here (“The Delusional Mystery of the Self”) echoes the intrigue of the similarly long and inspired finale of the previous album (via “Reflections over the Veils of Death”) though this piece is contained, focused on its head-first rant and kinda “brutal thrash” hammer through its riffs more than anything else. Though the full listen closes the way it started, a brief instrumental in passing, the album experience reads as complete and satisfying enough per the standards of late 80’s thrash while also reflecting some earnest pursuit of the band’s own personage in that headspace.

‘The Delusional Mystery of the Self Part II‘ is a believable second chapter in grand solidarity with the first as the collective impact of these works comes to define Mental Devastation as one of the finer classic thrash inspired bands among many active in the generally brilliant Chilean heavy metal landscape. The appeal here is potentially multi-faceted for the longtime thrash metal fan in terms of this record resembling the peaking high of late 80’s thrash metal’s not-so commercial sophistication as well as developing the progressive/technical aspect of the old ways with some serious movement beyond plainest tropes. Of course if you are new to this band the previous album is the right place to start, the order of appearance matters in terms of effect, but this album does give a strong enough idea of what these folks have been up to in realizing this larger concept/experience. A very high recommendation.

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