Axminister - The Crucible of Sin

Label: Self-release

Some times it really is worth looking at the promo sheet. It would have been easy to ignore Toronto band, Axminister simply due to the piles of death and black metal that comes this way and just write them off as another band that will only appeal to fans of those sub-genres and not write about them at all. However the publicity sheet recommends the band for fans of Iron Maiden, Manowar, Slayer and Megadeth. So, there is a warning that it's time to get prepared for revved up speed metal.

It's immediately apparent that Dave Mustaine is a huge influence on the vocal style of Nicholaus Klaus as he employs an incredibly similar snarl. The riffing and song structure of "Prey" and "Salvation" have also been learned from the Megadeth textbook. There's a definite Manowar influence on the chest-beating chorus of "The Trials of Hercules". The vocals are raspier and the chorus isn't quite as catchy as it might have been. The song's best moments are when the vocals stop and the instruments are given a metallic thrashing. The intro to "The Succubus and The Crucible of Sins" is in a sea shanty style that is reminiscent of many a viking and folk metal band however Axminister veer away from the ocean as their desired pirate booty contains thrash metal.



There is undeniable Slayer influence creeping through "Sanctus Equitus Mortis" and strangely the vocals are their strongest on this tune. Axminister add a little melody to the tune and, after a tempo change and a couple of layered choruses, the song then ends in a much more traditional heavy metal fashion.

It's hard to shake the feeling that this is a band still trying to find their own sound. Despite that the Mustaine snarls are great and more of them throughout the EP would have been nice.

Release Date: 4 May 2018

3/5



Axminister on bandcandcamp


Axminister on facebook

Vantablack Warship - Vantablack Warship

Record Label: Self-release

I remember going circuses as a kid enjoying the animals doing tricks, laughing at the clowns and being enthralled by the gymnastics of the trapeze artists and the tightrope workers. The tightrope walkers especially captured my attention as somebody who absolutely hates looking down from heights. I've always started shaking when I'm on the third floor of a shopping mall if I can see below. The enthrallment is similar for music, when bands straddle the tightrope between genres it's fascinating and attention grabbing. Vantablack Warship straddle the tightrope between hardcore and metal.

You might be asking yourself, which kind of metal do these genre-benders straddle? On "Another Dead Rockstar", it's black metal but there's an undeniable modern hardcore edge. On "Black Tongue Bertha", it's groove metal and I'd guess that a few members of this band own both Pantera T-shirts and albums. The vocals are spat out Phil Anselmo style. "Blood on the Mat" is Pantera wrestling with Converge. Kneel and pray you don't get hurt as a mere spectator. Towards the end of the song when a more standard rock beat is set down, the vocals move in the puking and growling direction of Blaine from The Accused.





Is death metal groove a thing or groove death metal? Because that's the twisted direction that "Kill this Kid" takes. It's slow but there's a metallic edge and a grooving underbelly. There's a little of nineties noise rock twisted in their mixture too. Amphetamine Records fans should be all over this track. There's a clear Slayer influence on the riffing on "Ruderalis" although the vocals lean towards blackened hardcore. "Abrasive Pulmonic Speak" sounds like Helmet jamming with Slayer. The chorus to "Crisis" is oddly reminiscent of "Stay Hungry" period Twisted Sister but the tune is a lot heavier and sludgier than anything Dee Snider's crew did in the eighties.

On surface level, Vantablack Warship come across as a metallic hardcore but scratching below the murky surface, the band are integrating nineties noise rock and black metal. If you wanted to hear any of the bands mentioned in this review take on a more experimental edge then I'd recommend checking this album out. With the eight song on full album clocking in at under thirty minutes, Vantablack Warship, thankfully don't wear out their welcome. In this day and age of over sixty minute albums and even songs, brevity is warmly welcomed.

3.5/5

Release Date: 26 January 2018

Vantablack Warship on bandcamp


Vantablack Warship on facebook

Rapture - Paroxym of Hatred

Record Label: Memento Mori


How good can a Greek retro-thrash metal be? Rapture play unrelenting, ferocious thrash with a touch of death that is a throwback to the early eighties. Easy reference points are Slayer, Dark Angel and Kreator. This is largely due to the vocals of Apostolos Papadimitriou, whose barks fall somewhere between Mille Petrozza and Tom Araya. The band thrash along the Teutonic highway rather than taking in the sea air of the Bay Area. When Rapture go full throttle, they veer into death metal territory but keep the thrash edge, which is a feat not many bands can pull off. Just get a load of the death metal and thrash metal banging together tightly in the title track.

Those who like their thrash metal on the technical side will find what Rapture have served up on this vinyl to their taste as it is undeniably present in tracks like "Redemption through Isolation" and "Quintessence of Lunacy" plus a number of others. There's no doubt each of the musicians in this band can play their instruments with razor sharp precision and it's the tightness of the musicianship, which will have many a metal fan drooling over this band due to this release.



Other band comparisons that are likely be thrown at Rapture due to the sheer strength of "Paroxysm of Hatred" are Sadus, Dark Angel, Pestilence, early Believer and Demolition Hammer. This is Rapture's second album and is already a serious contender for album of 2018 in these quarters. 2017 was a great year for metal and 2018 is shaping up to be even better.

4/5

Rapture on bandcamp


Rapture on facebook

Affliktor

Record Label: Transcending Obscurity


These days it seems that one man black metal bands are a dime a dozen. However the one man band Affliktor is more than a notch above the usual bedroom musician that considers themselves a band as Affliktor not only add a thrash metal element but as the main man behind Affliktor is Toby Knapp, who has been hammering away on guitar since the early nineties and releasing underground metal albums both as a solo artist and as a band.

While Knapp's vocals are of the typically evil black metal goblin variant as you might expect it's the guitar playing that puts this above not only a tonne of one man black metal bands but also many other blackened thrash bands. The thrash metal on "Born to the Breeder" is strong and some mighty fine guitar leads hits the eardrums when the song slows down. "Backwards into Hell" is more black metal oriented although the drumming is more thrash metal oriented than blast-beats and there are wicked guitar leads that push their way out rather than being prominent parts of the song, which helps to strengthen the song. The intro to "Chaos Magick Totaliy"harks back to both 80's Metallica and Megadeth but then heads to much darker area of metal while still incorporating thrash style drumming and guitar solos. "Burn the Earth" convinces the listener that Affliktor really do want to set the world ablaze with the evil vocals, quickly paced drums and blistering guitar work.



It's definitely mainly the technicality of the guitar work that sets Affliktor above other blackened thrash bands out there. That the drumming isn't chock full of blast-beats and favours the more thrash metal approach is also a huge thumbs up. It's worth noting that the PR sheet hits the mark suggesting that is for fans of Slayer, Testament, Inquisition, Desaster, Arrallu, Waxen, Kreator, Sodom and Yngwie Malmsteem.

4/5

Release Date: 20 October 2017


Affliktor on facebook




Affliktor on bandcamp



The Small Takeover on Facebook

Warcall - Invaders

Label: Plan B Music



There's something about three piece rock trios. It just seems that they don't often go wrong or at least, just tour forever until everyone has either heard them or at least heard of them. Main case in point, Motorhead. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who has dug their teeth into rock music that hadn't heard of Lemmy's group. Canadian power trio Warcall definitely come from the same school of thought. While their PR sheet states that the album opener, "Mission Commando" is about the start of a war. It includes the lyrics, "Go hard or go home" which could also be about a persevering metal band and their life on the road. The song itself quickly gets your attention as the tune is speedy, dirty and raw metal harking back to the early days of thrash metal taking more than a twist of Motorhead bass coupled fast pounding drums, speedy guitar riffs and raspy and gruff sandpaper to skin vocals.





"Riding with Zombies" is apparently about touring life and start off a little slower but the tempo changes to full tilt ahead again. The drums are hammered so strongly at the start of "Bully Bastards" that it's impossible not to have sympathy for the poor drumkit as it's likely to have a few visits to accident and emergency clinics in its lifetime. The rhythm section is strong in this one. Compared to what has gone before, "Mass Extinction" belies its subject matter as it nearly sounds like a happy mid-tempo tune but with those gruff raspy vocals layered on top. If you're after noisy as hell, you can relax because Warcall haven't abandoned their dirty and raw core. The vocals on "The Man who Suffers" are very much of the hoarse variation and they will have some listeners wondering if the song title is about the vocalist himself (it's not). There are some great guitar traditional metal guitar leads in this track which also takes the grimiest of thrash into its montage as does "Fight Back", which also includes some great basslines.




The raw dirty noise that Warcall create on their "Invaders" album should appeal to fans of Motorhead, Tank , the rawer Celtic Frost, recent Darkthrone and fans of early thrash metal.


3.5/5

Release Date: 13 October 2017


Warcall on Facebook


Warcall on bandcamp



The Small Takeover on Facebook

Insurrection - Extraction

Record Label: Galy Records

Ëxtraction is the process of removing something, especially by force and it is also the title of the fourth album from Canadian death metal, Insurrection, who are new band to me. Most of us associate extractions with dentists and the removal of teeth, which like listening to poor albums for review purposes is a painful process. Hopefully Quebec band Insurrection can provide some relief after the below average material that has come my way lately.




The album opens much like a computer error. But relax, it's not a mistake, it's just that the song is called "System Failure". The song is actually really strong. The band pummel the listener with fast crushing riffs and drumming with growled vocals. This adrenaline filled opener serves as a warning that a listener is in for brutal attack of the senses. A thrash metal style intro opens "Onward to Extinction", the song slows down to mid-tempo but at times sudden triggers of machine gunning drumming propel the song forward. At times, the growls disappear and there is a slightly punkish edge to the vocals. The equally misanthropically titled "Pull the Plug" starts out as a slow metallic burner before smashing you in he face with crushing guitar riffs and manic drumming but Insurrection know that all out speed is heavier when it is mixed together with slower parts rather than pummeling you straight in the face, Insurrection take a step back before delivering killer blows and this is more effective over all.

"Le Prix a Prayer"is catchy death thrash due in part to seemingly basic drumbeats although the tempo of the song changes a number of times and the chorus to this track is very much in a sing along style. It's one of those tracks that you just know will go down well with a live audience. In "Eulogy of Hatred", there is a definite nod in the guitar playing to fellow Quebec band, Voivod and the narrated parts also give a similar vibe to Voivod's late 80's output but the growled vocals keep Insurrection well within death metal territory.
"Parasite"starts out damned fast with loud growling but slows down so some technical guitar playing can shine through although the entire band continue their death metal assault of the senses. The guitar on this track is reminiscent of 80's Coroner and Believer There's a lot of metallic crunch that crosses death metal with thrash metal in "Le Pesant Dór"and "Misere Noire".

While the vocals on this album are mostly growled by Stef Jompe, they are clear so it's not too difficult to make out many of the lyrics, which makes a nice change from the generic incomprehensible cookie monster vocalists out there. The guitar playing is technical and the drumming is often manic with tight changes. Insurrection are clearly one tight unit. Using metallic force "Extraction" hits the mark and should come with a warning sticker that the album may well remove body parts.



3.5/5


Release Date: 6 October 2017



Insurrection on Facebook



Insurrection on bandcamp





The Small Takeover on Facebook

Decatur - Badder than Brooklyn

Sometimes a bio just lets you know what you're in for. Toronto-based Decatur were recommended for fans of Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage and In Flames. Right off the bat, there's a problem here. Metallica? (which period-thrash metal or their first major music video period, dominant snare drum period or ....?), Pantera (OK, same problem but most people only know the Phil Anselmo era). The bio also states that Decatur play real metal for metalheads but later it's stated that they get their unique sound be being open minded to other genres such as blues, rock and roll and even pop.


There are plenty of chugging riffs in "Internal War". It's now clear that the Metallica influence is from their thrash metal period and the vocals are Phil Anselmo style shouts. An 80's style thrashing intro opens "Into the Night" and the band sound great until the vocals kick in. They are nice and clear but the vocalist sounds like he has been chain smoking Malboro and Camel cigarettes since coming out of the womb, which would be great if Decatur were a death metal band but they're more in line with retro-thrash. There is, however a great guitar sound, which is close to being a constant throughout this album but more about that later. The opening to "Vegas Girl" borrows liberally from Pantera's "Walk" and descends into hair metal territory. Maybe this is an intentional tongue and cheek parody of Motley Crue's "Girls Girls Girls" and the singing is supposed to sound like an off-key Vince Neil with a nose and throat full of mucus. A relief comes in the form of Metallica style riffs in the next track "Worst Enemy" and the vocals edge towards Martin Walkyier but sadly miss that mark. This band who claim to play metal for metalheads open the title track of this album with a Sex Pistols riff then go thrash metal. On this tune the vocals fall somewhere between Lemmy and Rob Flynn.







"Bottled Inside" is some mighty fine thrash but for the most part the vocals sound like they're being read for an audio-book after the narrator just came home from a night spent boozing it up. "Tear You" opens with the lyrics, "I just can't take this". I know what the band mean. Actually they get back on track and lay down some righteous thrash here but there's still a mismatch between the song's tempo and the vocals. "Abbaddon" is some fine thrash but there are products you can buy to solve constipation and they could have saved this track. "Shatterproof starts out as a mid-paced metal tune with shouted vocals and then Decatur turn out some tight thrash. The final track is called "Internal War pt. 2" and sounds about as original as the title and pretty much like an instrumental by the band that title reminds you of. This is the best track on the album because it not only ends the album and thankfully, there are no vocals.



There's no way this album is getting post-review play. Brooklyn must be pretty bad.



1/5


Release Date: 6 October 2017


Decatur on Facebook

Hazzerd - Misleading Evil

Record Label: World War Now



Just a few years after releasing their "Victimize the Innocent", (which the band themselves have uploaded on Youtube here and bandcamp here),Canadian four piece thrash metal band Hazzerd are back with their debut album, "Misleading Evil".

Hazzerd's full on thrash assault is of the Bay Area variety. The vocals share the spitting razor blades style of Exodus' Steve Souza and at times comparisons to Chuck Billy of Testament could also be made but the Souza stylings are much more prominent. Musically Hazzerd also look towards those bands beginning with the full on assault of "Tendencies of a Madman", which has some tasty guitar leads towards the end of the song. "Absolute Destruction" starts with a little guitar noodling then transforms into destroying thrash with some background gang vocals that can't help but bring "Fabulous Disaster" to mind although the background vocals aren't utilized on the Hazzerd tune to the same extent. In fact, "Absolute Destruction" changes path into an instrumental as the song reaches its conclusion. While the singer still sounds like Steve 'Zetro' Souza on "Execution of the Damned", the all-in parts are more reminiscent of "Practice What You Preach" era Testament. The contrast works in Hazzerd's favour but the complaint here is this track comes to a seemingly abrupt ending.





The album's title track "Misleading Evil" is a seven and a half minute instrumental that soars and thrashes although it really should have been snipped as it drags as much as Metallica's lengthier material. However, here's my major point of contention, it's difficult not to consider that naming the album after an instrumental track was a big mistake. An album title that gets stuck in your head due to a catchy chorus is a much better choice, eg: "Master of Puppets", "Fabulous Disaster", "Practice What You Preach", "Number of the Beast". It's difficult to imagine a world where thrash metal fanatics talk about Metallica's "Orion" album as a classic.

The intro to "The Fallen" is similar to Metallica''s buildups when they were on top of the thrash metal heap. The vocals are still very much in the Exodus mould but they're not a major part of this track, which instead features an abundance of guitar noodling and drum pummeling. "Under the Influence" is no holds barred thrash and it's easy to imagine smiles on both the band's faces and audience members as a moshpit goes crazy just in front of the stage.

The vocals take a slight turn on "Apocalypse Dawn" with the type of high pitched shriek that many a traditional band used to favour but thrashers can relax as thankfully this style isn't stuck with throughout. There's a definite Iron Maiden influence at work here (especially with the finishing "The Trooper" wooohooo vocals) although Hazzerd play much faster than those lazy old farts. Album finisher, "Road to Nowhere" thrashes a a whiplash inducing pace for a while but slows down to a basic rock drumbeat a little after the four minute mark allowing the drummer to catch his breath before the trashing commences again. A Kirk Hammet style guitar solo follows which once again which really means the song is too long and would have worked better if the band had cut the fat and the tune had come to an end around the four or five minute market instead of pushing for Metallica style excess.

As Hazzerd appear to be a young band, it will be interesting to see how they develop their sound as Hazzerd are definitely on top of their game on headbanging tracks like "Under the Influence" and"Absolute Destruction", so the songwriting skill is there. It just needs to be honed further to stand out in the retro-thrash crowd.

3/5

Hazzerd on facebook

War Cloud - War Cloud

Record Label : Ripple Music

Bay Area band War Cloud are a new band having only formed in 2014. The band are made up of Alex Wein on guitar and vocal duties, Joaquin Ridgell,on drums,Sean Nishi on bass and Tony Campos also handling guitar. War Cloud took their name from a song from the UK band Wicked Lady, which will inform some readers that the band are influenced by hard rock from the late 60's and 70's.


There's a definite 70's influence coming through the fuzzed up guitar that leaves little doubt that Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy and UFO feature prominently in the collective listening diet of War Cloud. There's a hard rock boogie feel to "Chopper Wired"that forces a listener to not just listen but to also move their buttocks. With the band based in the Bay Area and lyrics about four horsemen in "Divide and Conquer", it's impossible not to think that within their musical stew, War Cloud are not only taking in and spitting out early hard rock and traditional metal but also early speed metal. The suspicion of an early speed metal influence is confirmed in "Hurricane" as it harks back to the first couple of Metallica albums but the vocals are more in the hard rock singing style than than the near punkish shouting style of early James Hetfeild. Wein can really sing but doesn't venture outside his range, which helps give the band their sound.

The guitar leads on "No Man's Land" are attention grabbing as it's apparent that both Wein and Campos are highly accomplished musicians. "Red Witch" sounds like it would have been a hit on the radio if it had been released in the 70's. It's a really catchy number due to the chorus, tempo and distorted guitar all shining from the speakers. It's easy to imagine people hearing the song on the airwaves and then seeking out the 45 rpm vinyl. "Speed Demon" is so full of punk'n'roll grittiness, you'll need to wash your hands after hearing the track. The album closer, which you can listen to below, has a NWOBM but War Cloud manage to stamp their own identity on the track.









At first I didn't really think much of this album but after listening to it a number of times, there are many things to discover and like about War Cloud's debut. An obvious criticism could be that with their retro style War Cloud look too much to the past however it's clear that the band have a genuine passion for hard rock from the past and their passion boils over in their songwriting and musicianship. Standout songs are "Speed Demon", "Red Witch"and "No Man's Land" however no song on the album is weak.


Release Date: 8 September 2017

3.5/5





Warcloud on Facebook

Widower - The Unholy Oath EP

In their press release Texan band Widower are described as a blackened thrash quartet. Taking a look at the legible band logo and the album's cover, thrash metal rather than its corpse-painted counterpart is the major expectation.

Truth is the first few songs beat with a pure black metal heart with only a hint of a crossover into thrash metal territory. The question of style or sub-genre often matters very little if the songs are up to standard and Widower's songs have the punchy drums and the guitar sound from hell accompanied with evil goblin vocals that cause most black metal fans to wipe off more than just their make-up. Elements of thrash kick in on the intro to "Unholy Force" but it quickly gallops away into a darker locality where one has to be aware of getting pricked by the sharp riffing. The blackened thrash description makes sense when "The Council" kicks into session. This is a successful marriage between the two sub-genres of metal. The sharp thrashing riffs recalls the heyday of "The Big Four" although this tune by Widower is closer to the Scandinavian metal that was coming out during that period. "Whore Crusher" thrashes along in "Kill 'Em All" mode without betraying Widower's black metal roots.

This 5 song EP is an unholy noise that will excite most black metal fans although those strictly looking for pure(?) blackened thrash may be slightly disappointed but they'll still find some treasure in "The Unholy Oath". It will be interesting to keep an eye on this Widower.

3.5/5




Widower on facebook



Widower on bandcamp

War Curse - Final Days EP

There are no prizes for guessing what style of music War Curse play. The band's chosen handle should be familiar to any Kreator fans out there as it's a song from the German thrasher's "Hordes of Chaos" album which we reviewed here. War Curse are closer to old school Bay Area thrash metal than the thrash coming from the European continent.

The press release states that Final Days is highly recommended for fans of Kreator, Megadeth, Havok and Testament. It's a little odd that Exodus aren't mentioned as their influence runs strong in every song. The vocals of Tarek Puska sound on all the songs like a cross between Steve Zetro and Chuck Billy with a stronger Exodus feel. "Blue Line of Injustice" is a slow thrasher that uses the template Slayer set with "South of Heaven". "Severed Crosses" is tight melodic thrash with a catchy chorus.

This is an impressive EP that will appeal to fans of eighties style thrash. I'm looking forward to hearing more from this tight unit known as War Curse. These guys get bonus points for rocking a Black Fast T-shirt on their facebook page cover photo.


3.5/5

War Curse on facebook



Check out "Final Days" on bandcamp.

Blackened "Underground Attack"

Here's a band who may or may not be named after a Metallica song. It'd be an easy assumption to make as Blackened do have some of the Bay Area sound in their thrash metal mix. However to my ears, it sounds more Exodus than Metallica as there aren't a whole lot of lengthy songs with classical leanings unless you're talking about classic 80's American thrash. The songs here all fall well under the five minute mark.

These boys from Brazil aren't metal purists as they're willing to go in the crossover mode. Just by looking at the cover, it's clear that D.R.I are a huge influence on Blackened and it comes through in the vocals although personally I find it hard not to think of Mark Salomon of The Crucified when listening to "Underground Attack". It's definitely due to the music rather than the lyrics as all the chapters in the Blackened bible only cover thrash metal. The song slows down so a quick and slower guitar solo can be played before the thrashing commences again. "Extreme Violence" has an early Metallica style intro but gets nastier and is closer to Exodus in style. The vocalist spits out words in "Psychopath" which has a punked up metal feel akin to some Suicidal Tendencies. The gang shouted vocals create a hardcore sound although the band still grip the metal firmly with all hands as there's no way they're letting go to slide fully into the hardcore.





There'll be some that complain that Blackened really do sound like an eighties thrash band when really that is admirable. This rules and in a dark room with a number of beer cans the band themselves have those important three words to say to you all in TxNxD, "Thrash Never Dies".

4/5



Blackened on Facebook

Witches Brew records

Drones for Queens - Practically Weapons

This E.P. from Philidelphia band, Drones for Queens, is a tasty slab for the D-beat fan to drool over. There's a very metallic feel to the EP's title track that won't really annoy D-beat fans and may even convert the more open-minded metalhead. For a large sum of the song, the guitar sounds like it could have a thrash or grind album which gets the thumbs up on this blog. "A Blinding Future" has a similar metallic leaning running through it and you know what? It works. Drones for Queens have offered up something much more interesting than standard Discharge worship. A thrash metal pulse with a tinge of death(of the metal sub-genre kind) runs through "Duress".

Play the title track "Practically Weapons"



"Practically Weapons" is being released as a limited to 300 copies 7" white vinyl. There's a link or two below for pre-orders.

4/5

Drones for Queens on facebook

Pre-order the vinyl here.

Reign of Fury - Death Be Thy Shepherd

Any dedicated record collector will deny that old adage "You can't judge an album by its cover" and then tell you a story about the album or albums that they bought solely because of the cover and then they found out that the music was also solid and the purchase was worth it for more than just the artwork. From the moment I laid eyes on the cover of the second album from UK band Reign of Fury, I didn't know whether it would be death or thrash metal but I suspected it would be right up my alley and knew it would be one of the two metal sub-genres. Reign of Fury are not death but straight up no-nonsense thrash metal.

The band's sound is very much 80's metal. There's a little bit of "And Justice For All" Metallica here and there. At times vocalist Bison Steed sounds like a youthful James Hetfield. A number of the all-in shouts hark back to Tesament's "Practice What You Preach" which followed the Metallica blueprint that countless bands were following back in the day. Remember UK metallers Onslaught's "In Search of Sanity" album? Metallica had a song called "Frayed Ends of Sanity" and Reign of Fury have a song called "Gates of Sanity". Reign of Fury clearly aren't looking to reinvent the wheel and just want you to headbang along to their thrash and with songs like "Hypnotise the Masses" they succeed at their goal. Bison's vocals are melodic although not in the Joey Belladonna style and fit the band's Bay Area style of thrash. The bridges work well and the band are tight as hell.

"All is Lost" is the obligatory ballad. Haha, remember on "Practice What You Preach" that Testament simply named theirs "The Ballad". Reign of Fury's ballad does speed up into more traditional metal territory. For straight out thrash, it's difficult to go past "The Love of a Dying God", with its speedy intro and all-in shouts. The tempo does slow down a little but it's only so the band catch a small breath so that they can speed up again. The band works the slow/fast dynamics really well in this particular tune making it one of the album's highlights. "Sorrow Made Flesh" cops a number of Metallica riffs but it isn't quite paint by numbers as Reign of Fury manage to inject a little of their own style there largely due to Bison's vocals. The title track "Death Be They Shepherd" is the longest track on the album and clocks in at over ten minutes. Fortunately the band knowing when to speed up and when to slow down doesn't make the song seem quite that long

Reign of Fury might not be setting any new ground but in this day and age, what recent thrash metal band does? Reign of Fury and "Death Be Thy Shepherd" should be checked out for those looking for decent late 80's style thrash metal or just solid thrash metal. The full album is streaming on the bandcamp link below so check it out.

3/5




Reign of Fury on Facebook




Reign of Fury - Death Be They Shepherd on bandcamp

Osmium Guillotine - Osmium Guillotine

Ever watched any episode of Doctor Who? The British doctor travels in a phone box through time and space. There are many options to capture the feeling of time and space travel through music. One option is to check out older albums and close your eyes and imagine traveling through space and also picturing the time the album was released. Another option is to pick up a new album by a new band covering old ground. With metal, this is easy with retro-thrash and death metal bands playing the old-school style.

An obvious comparison to make with Osmium Guillotine and Doctor Who is the fact that they're both from the United Kingdom. Osmium Kingdom have their feet partially entrenched in the New Wave of British Metal however there are also elements of the original wave of thrash metal so the band's music voyages through metal's past despite being in the present. The vocals of Pete Keleris are of the clean and clear variety with no high pitched screaming. The drumming and bass playing are solid throughout the album. Lance Steele's guitar work really shines through whether he's soloing or Osmium Guillotine are playing as a unit.

The instrumental opener with its quiet build really gives no indication of what's to come but still works as an attention getter like a first song should. The follow-up tune "Martydom" let's the listener know that Osmium Guillotine mean business with their crunching riffs and quick rhythm that brings both early Maiden, Metallica and Anthrax to mind. Opening with a very traditional British metal sound, "D-Day" then becomes much faster paced with the guitar and bass reaching slamming speed. There is a slight hint of Joey Belladonna in the vocals on "Phobophobia" which could be due to the song's near blistering pace. Those who ran screaming when Metallica released the Black album will want to skip "Blight Upon Mankind" due to its slow tempo. "City of Chaos" however will bring a smile to thrash metal fans face. "Hobgolin" opens with a spoken part then the metal is slightly folked up. Whether it is done knowingly or not "Breathe it in, Son" recalls the early days of the crossover between metal and hardcore as there is a riff that is very similar to D.R.I.'s "Five Year Plan".

The only gripe with this album is the song "Subhuman" is too long. There's enough variety between the songs for multiple listens. Osmium Guillotine have released a very good debut album and are a band definitely worth keeping an eye on. Click on the bandcamp link below and give the album a listen for yourself.


4/5


Osmium Guillotine on Bandcamp

Osmium Guillotine on Facebook

Mefisto - The Megalomania Puzzle

 It's tempting to start this review of this Vic Records retrospective release with just two words and they would be, this rules.  Mefisto are a Swedish band who popped up around the time of the Bathory and there are definitely similar influences here.  Mefisto straddle a world between black metal and thrash metal.  Some metal historians out there might even refer to them as proto-blackened thrash.  Serious metal historians should consult their history books today due to the reviewer writing a review that resembles an astrology column.   If these historians take astrology seriously then it should be noted that their lucky colour is black and their lucky number is 666.   

Time to damn the pseudo-science and get to the meat and potatoes of the music.  The vocals of Sandro Cajander are raspy grunts that fall in the cracks between death and black metal.  The dropped tuning and the guitar distortion blasts through the speakers and kicks all who stand in the way.  A classical guitar feel comes through in "Os Liberty".  The drumming isn't exactly face-melting but sometimes it is the simple approach that works best and this is the case with a lot of Mefisto's material.  There's a heavy Kill Em'All/Ride The Lightning influence on "Underground Circus".  A number of the opening riffs seem to have been pulled from "For Whom The Bell Tolls" but the riffs don't distract from the track as a whole especially since they don't last that long.

Some out there might consider this release to be dated but those  who enjoy 80's style thrashing death will have to seek this puppy out.

4.5/5

Unscarred "Fake Democracy"

 Unscarred are a French based thrash metal band who have an Iranian female lead vocalist.   The band appear to be more influenced by European thrash than the American brand of thrash metal.  There's also a mixture of power metal thrown in for good measure.

The band chug out five songs on "Fake Democracy" with the vocals of  Niloofar Melody being the band's strong point.  She doesn't sound like she's after an endorsement from Children's Television Workshop yet sounds like a woman unafraid of brutality.  There are a few moments where she sounds like a female rapper in a metal band but those don't last for long as she bursts into angry battle cries which are clearly backed by the old and new metal Gods.Although Unscarred are thrash metal, the band aren't always putting their feet on the accelerator which helps Niloofar's vocal performance to really shine.

Those who need their quota of blast-beats will find them whipping their necks during "100 Lashes". There are some tasty guitar leads allowed to reign free within "Meet Your Fate".  Tempo-wise, it's clear that Unscarred enjoy a little variation as this song goes from slow groove metal style to all out thrash a number of times.

  Thrash metal fans of old may see the band's tempo changes as a drawback. A huge disadvantage is none of  the tunes  really have hooks that get stuck in the head and have a listener begging for more.    Nevertheless, soundsUnscarred's thrash metal is an interesting take on a genre that some metal-heads complain is stale.  Those that dig power metal and the more symphonic side of metal should also check this band out.

This release was put out by  Contorted Records, which is run by Matt Baggins.  Matt is also the major player in the great metal blog Two Guys Metal Reviews.

3/5

Unscarred on bandcamp



Unscarred on Facebook

Running Death "The Call of Extinction"

 

The thrash metal revival has been going on for some time now.  Unlike the first wave of thrash where the bands that stood head and shoulders above the rest only came from the United States, a few
U.K bands are on equal footing with their American counterparts.  In the early days of thrash metal, German bands such as Kreator, Sodom and Holy Moses were giving the American bands a run for the money and a much stronger force than anything from the UK.  The likes of Xentrix and Slammer were relegated to second tier for a good reason, that's exactly what those bands were.

German band Running Death are very much part of the new thrash movement.  The band are more influenced by 80's Bay Area bands than those from their own country.  On the first few vocals of Simon Bihlmayer sound like a young James Hetfield on a sick day.   You just wish he'd have a good rest, take medicine and avoid sneezing anywhere close to your proximity.

The drumming is standard meat and potatoes thrash metal fare rather than an attempt to rival Lombardo.  The guitar rhythms however are a different story although they borrow heavily from early Metallica and Testament.  Just before the two minute mark of  "Celebrate Your Aggression", the vocals sound exactly like James Hetfield which fits the music like a glove because it too sounds like early Metallica however the band pick up tempo and the vocalist growls a call to arms "Celebrate your aggression against those bastards" and doesn't sound like he's auditioning for a role on Sesame Street and he shines when he actually comes across as aggressive.  "Hunting for Heads" has early Testament all over it but even given the lack of originality that's still a plus point.

The more aggressive vocals drive the final two songs on this five song EP and Running Death finish on a strong note.  Stronger vocals and maybe more prominent drumming throughout the release would have raised the bar and maybe have these guys sitting pretty alongside the likes of Havok, Warbringer and Toxic Holocaust.



2.5/5


Listen to this album here.


Running Death on facebook

Toxic Waltz "Decades of Pain"

  Is it even necessary to explain which genre a band who picked a moniker from an Exodus song and have an album title that isn't miles away from that of a Slayer live album?  If you're guessing that these five Bavarians are in a jazz fusion band, then you're reading the wrong blog.  It's highly possible that the title to the opening song " Intro" was chosen as a tribute to a Testament ballad.

Toxic Waltz are a throwback to the peak of eighties thrash metal.  Exodus is indeed a major influence on the bands sound and style however there are pieces of 80's Metallica and Slayer in there too.  The vocals fall somewhere between the spitting razor blades style of Steve Souza and the louder and throatier hardcore style of Gordo from Ratos De Paroa.  The riffing is tight as hell.  With two guitarist, it's the guitar sound that is in the forefront here with the drums mostly playing second fiddle despite the fact that the drummer is no slacker.  The gallop leading into "World of Hate" proves this but it's the guitar sound that provides the crunch and there's a Metallica of old style slowing and breathing before going for the throat.  "Toxic Hell" is pure Exodus but really what else would you expect?  It's an enjoyable romp although not quite as hooky as the band Toxic Waltz take their major inspiration from.  "Suicide Squad" however is catchy number that has hooks and riff in spades.  "Priest of Lies" simply thrashes.  Tight and fast.  It's difficult not to imagine the song causing utter chaos in the front row whenever it's played live.   Slayer plays a part in the serial killer ode "Obsession to Kill" with insane vocals that are a cross between Steve Souza and Scooby Doo.  If this was an 80's song, this track would be considered proto-death metal.

A weakness on "Decades of Pain" is that a few of the songs do seem a little too similar to each other.   The two closing songs, "Suicide Squad" and "Obsession to Kill" are the highlights as they veer a little from the path these Bavarians have set for themselves.
However, Toxic Waltz's thrashing is very welcoming.  I'll definitely dive in and give it another try.  Check out "Priest of Lies" on the band's facebook bandpage.

3/5

Toxic Waltz on facebook

Amok - Somewhere In Time

  Many of the UK thrash metal bands back in the 80's never managed to get into the first or second tier.  Xentrix and Slammer are possibly the only thrashers from that period of time and corner of the world that ever managed to leave an impression but it was never as large as their German and American cousins.

  Decades later Evile have fought their way into the first tier of retro-thrash but there's a Scottish band called Amok following hot on their heels.  These guys don't sound the average pub metal band who have plugged away for years playing the requisite Metallica/Megadeth and Slayer due to the melodic vocals of Stephen Matulevicze   being close to Joey Belladonna which lends Amok that sound Anthrax achieved when they were on the top of their game.  There are a few moments here and there were he sounds like late 80's Chuck Billy as some of the echo effects could have come from "Practice What You Preach" .  This is a thrash metal frontman isn't scared to prove that he has singing ability.  When was the last time you heard an Anthrax cover in your favorite music dive bar?  Yeah, I can't remember either.  Deciphering the lyrics isn't difficult due to the vocals and the fact that they come through crisp and clearly.

The music backing up the vocals is largely reminiscent of Anthrax too.  The riffing is crunchy and technical and backed with strong speedy drumming. Despite the speed, it never sound like the individual musicians are competing in a race to the finish line.   It's not all full-on thrash either as some of the guitar sounds are clearly from the Maiden songbook but throughout "Somewhere in the West", it's Joey Belladonna period Anthrax that come to mind.  "Lawbreakers" has an undeniable New York sound as there's a tinge of New York hardcore bands like Gorilla Biscuits in the guitar sound and rhythm section.   Some may write Amok off as a clone band but in an age of  Cookie Monster soundalike bands putting brutality ahead of writing music , Amok's easily accessible Anthrax sound is both very welcome and highly enjoyable.  Wherever you are on the globe, it's time to listen to Amok run so make time to kill time and click their bandcamp link to listen this album.

3.5/5

Amok's bandcamp



Amok on facebook




Small Takeover on facebook