Triple Brutal is very brutal

On April 1, the new Austrian Death Machine album hit the virtual shelves across the Internet and actual shelves in select retailers. Triple Brutal is the third album from the group known for having a theme of Schwarzenegger. With songs referencing such movies as Predator, Total Recall, Commando, The Terminator and Conan, it is definitely tongue-in- cheek, but the music is nothing but playful. With pounding, aggressive riffs and blazing solos, these people mean business.
For this band, “brutal” isn’t just a funny word to say in an Arnie accent, it’s the entire album. Not a single song doesn’t make one want to jump into a mosh pit and start raging.
ADM has had a rocky couple of months with the arrest and conviction of their lead singer Tim Lambesis, known for his work as the lead singer of As I Lay Dying. Lambesis solicited an undercover detective to murder his estranged wife when work for Triple Brutal was ongoing. Funded by an Indiegogo campaign, contributors to Triple Brutal were promised special perks, some including personal appearances by Lambesis. While celebrities acting stupid is always hilarious, and the trainwreck of events hard to look away from, metal fandom started getting worried that they’d have to find another fix of brutality elsewhere. While a release date of April 1 seemed suspicious, there was no prank and a collective sigh of relief came from metalheads everywhere.
Like previous ADM albums, Triple Brutal doesn’t use Arnie movies as a basis for every song, Lambesis’ interest in fitness and working out definitely comes through in his music, as does his sense of humor and enjoyment of poking fun at Arnold. The beginning to one fitness song goes “This one goes out to the housekeepers around
the world […] the best activities for your health are pumping and humping.”, while the song “One More Rep” gives listeners some “gymspiration” from the band, perfect for that last push during a workout.
Schwarzenegger has always been a culture icon with hilarious quotes and the cheesiest of action movies, the combination of comedy and triple-A quality metal really make Austrian Death Machine a fantastic band with albums metalheads can’t get tired of. Even with all the excitement surrounding the release, Lambesis’ incarceration does make it a bit bittersweet – after all, what’s metal without a live show and a pit?