Hey, sometimes a name misspelling is done on purpose. I checked out metal-archives.com, and there were over 5 bands named CLAUSTROPHOBIA (the proper spelling), yet only one CLAUSTROFOBIA. So the small typo in the name was intentional.

Anyway, these guys are from Brazil and throughout their career, they’ve opened for acts like SOULFLY, DESTRUCTION & HATE ETERNAL. Like the first Metal band to have made it out of Brazil (SEPULTURA) and into the international market, CLAUSTROFOBIA plays Thrash/Death Metal and sprinkles on some groovy elements.

Two problems struck me right off the bat, and that’s not a good thing. One, the production isn’t very good. Everything sounds thin and the record sounds like a demo. I won’t hold it against the band mainly because I have no idea how easy (or excruciatingly difficult) it is to get half-decent mastering in a country like Brazil.

The second is…the unoriginality. I’ve heard this before. It’s a cross between DYING FETUS and SEPULTURA with some CANNIBAL CORPSE for flavouring, but done in such a way that brings absolutely nothing new to the table. It’s not atrociously bad, but there’s nothing good about this either. It’s extremely bland, where I can put this in the background and then not notice when it’s no longer playing.

“Fulminant” isn’t bad, nor is it good. It just is.

(Online April 18, 2007)