Artist: Impalers (Den)
Release Title: Styx Demon: The Master of Death EP
Year: 2017
Label: Evil Eye Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Megalodon
2.Styx Demon
3.Death Comes Ripping (Misfits cover)
4.Prowler (Iron Maiden cover)
Continuing to honor their past, Danish thrashers Impalers are furthering the bands’ explosion of old-school thrash influences that have long been a part of their work from the beginning of their existence and becomes the fuel for their charge going forward. Staying on the cycle of two-year breaks between all their releases, this new EP was released January 16, 2017 on Evil Eye Records.
Coming on strong, this new effort contains four tracks, two originals and two covers, that allows them to display their old-school chops quite efficiently. Concerning the originals, the main driving factor is tight ferocious thrashing with plenty of sharp, jagged rhythms and full-throttle blasting to continue their homage to the past. Filled with tight patterns, fiery soloing and their deep gravelly vocals, they offer up the sparkling best of the band in brief vicious spurts with plenty of enjoyable elements within as the charging paces makes for a highly impressive time. The covers are somewhat faithful interpretations wrapped into the thrash mold as they’re not entirely based on the genre and yet come off rather well even if it’s obvious they’re not original tunes in the slightest. There’s just not much else on offer here beyond these tracks.
Given that there’s just not a whole lot to really dissect here given the originals are blistering barnburners and the covers are fine and faithful adaptations, this EP tends to really find itself simply there for fans of the bands’ previous efforts or those looking to discover the bands’ style if they’ve slipped through the cracks in the listeners’ own attention to the revival thrash scene.
Artist: Battery (Den)
Release Title: Martial Law
Year: 2016
Label: Punishment 18 Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1.The Rapture
2.Proxy Warfare
3.Kukulkan
4.Downfall of an Age
5.2083
6.Forced Retaliation
7.Battery by Authority
8.Evil Offspring
9.Evoke the Morbid
10.Martial Law
Taking their influences even further, the Danish thrashers under the banner Battery have continued to bring out the bands’ absolute dedication to the old-school Bay-Area style of thrash which has been a part of the group’s history from the start. Being the last recorded output of long-time drummer Andreas Joen before leaving the band, the sophomore release was originally released November 25, 2016 on Punishment 18 Records.
As was the case for the bands’ career, the vast majority of this one concerns the absolutely frenetic and enjoyable bursts of old-school flavored thrash metal. Like many of their compatriots, there’s a strong sense of the rhythms taking plenty of influence from the Bay-Area style here with the fiery, crunchy riff-work and that ever-familiar rumbling series of bass-lines that clang and rattle along with the music quite nicely. With these being the more vibrant and intense tracks, they capture that sense of frantic, engaging thrash-scene effectively with the tight, ripping rhythms being given that old-school sheen due to the crunchy riff-work while also allowing for the group to descend into more laid-back and mid-tempo gallops in order to offer some rather nice diversity which rounds this out nicely. That also does highlight the main issue in that the album is incredibly one-note and one-sided in its appreciation and devotion to the scene that it never once comes off all that original in terms of appearance and generally feel. This one manages to play that same general tactical approach in the old-school riffing and blistering leads which really makes for a rather familiar time that really overwhelms and lowers it somewhat. As well, the fact that it’s quite short due to the tight, frantic rhythms does lower this one somewhat as the intensity levels do bring it back down from what it could’ve been as they’re over before it really matters. However, it’s not nearly as big a detriment as the overall familiar attack.
Although it does have a rather familiar approach and attack that does get hindered here somewhat, the overall infectious attitude and enthusiasm that’s featured here is quite able to overcome much of that in order to make for a solid and worthwhile if non-essential choice for revivalist thrash fanatics or less-discerning thrash fans.
Artist: Pit of Carnage
Release Title: The Rise of the Fallen King
Year: 2016
Label: CDN Records
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1.Feed the Machine
2.The Rise of the Fallen King
3.Obsession of a God
4.Pile of Corpses
5.Bring It On
6.Leviathan I
7.Leviathan II
8.Reflections of Desire
9.Voids of the Abyss
10.Walking the Shadows
Founded in 2013, Danish brutal death metallers Pit of Carnage came together because of a need to go heavier and more brutal than their previous bands and settled on a two-person line-up of GoreDrummer and Kasper Hansen. When that fizzled following the debut release, GoreDrummer took over all other instruments while bringing Peter Juelsgaard for bass-duties and unleashed this second opus August 3rd, 2016 on CDN Records.
Blasting out with fervent vigor and intense rhythms, the effort really showcases the tight and frantic rhythms that are given plenty of space to drag out the deep, crunchy riff-work. Utilizing thunderous drumming into tight, blasting rhythms along a sea of swirling, somewhat-technical riffing brings along the brutality here through the rather dynamic series of tempos throughout here, going for either the slow, ominous crawl or offering up faster, rabid rhythms that take full advantage of the thunderous pounding and deep-set bass-lines all the while letting the swirling technicality in the riff-work take over here. Charging alongside this fine work is a slower section of plodding atmospheric sprawling chug that’s somewhat at odds with the remaining part of their sound but is still a highly enjoyable aspect here that features some rather tight, crunchy work on display here that helps in the brutality regard even with the stagnant tempos off-setting the much more ferocious work elsewhere here. In essence that itself seems to be the only real downfall of the album is this rather stilted pacing when it drops the faster blasting for the sprawling chug, and once this gets back into those more favorable tempos there’s a lot of great material here that’s quite enjoyable. The decision to split up the two-piece instrumental tracks when it could’ve worked solidly as one is a slightly questionable one, but as for the music it’s not that big of an issue.
Overall this here is quite an enjoyable blast of brutal death metal that definitely gets plenty of its better moments once it really goes for the kill instead of standing back and trying to crush the listener with slower tempos, leaving this one to really appeal mostly to ardent fanatics of European brutal death metal or less discernable death metal fans.
Artist: Artillery
Release Title: Penalty by Perception
Year: 2016
Label: Metal Blade Records
Genre: Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1.In Defiance of Conformity
2.Live by the Scythe
3.Penalty by Perception
4.Mercy of Ignorance
5.Rites of War
6.Sin of Innocence
7.When the Magic Is Gone
8.Cosmic Brain
9.Deity Machine
10.Path of the Atheist
11.Welcome to the Mindfactory
The seventh full-length from Danish thrash veterans Artillery overall is as strong and effective as they were back in the heyday during their assaults in the late-80s. Continuing on the theme from their last album which introduced their new singer, this material is much in that same manner of utterly pummeling thrash rhythms and crushing drumming barreling along through engaging up-tempo work-outs that can maneuver through a strong variety of tempo change-ups due to the incredibly strong riff-work at the forefront of the record. Being able to drive through tracks with an intense speed-driven straightforward thrashers or more melodic mid-paced efforts that contain a fair amount of toughened churning riff-work alongside the power-metal accented flairs in place throughout the tracks, it gives this a rather intriguing amount of variety makes for a wholly engaging dynamic throughout here. It readily thrashes when necessary, eases off into the mid-tempo when appropriate and offers the kind of melodic tendencies that don’t diminish the full-scale blistering tempos featured. Surely, the ballad might not be for everyone’s personal tastes and it can seem to drone on a little too long at times but it still holds up well enough overall.
The first half here expertly plays off what’s going on here. Opener ‘In Defiance of Conformity’ uses an ambient forest-sound intro with simple guitars slowly build into pounding drumming, furious riff-work and a stylish up-tempo gallop as the melodic vocal croons rip through the charging rhythms with the harmonies melodies mixing along with the tight chugging thrash riffing into the solo section with the fine melodic riffing continuing into the final half for an exciting opener. ‘Live by the Scythe’ utilizes grandiose melodic riff-work turns into heavy-handed rhythms and surging riffing through a charging up-tempo pace loaded with melodic flurries charging through the intense riff-work with the soaring melodic solo section leading into the frantic, heavy-handed rhythms of the finale for another exciting highlight. The title track uses a slow-burn intro with a gradual turn into heavy mid-tempo chugging with scorching leads pounding along with the lively rhythms into the solo section and pounding through the chugging riffing of the final half for another heavy, enjoyable effort.‘Mercy of Ignorance’ uses furious tribal drumming and churning riffing into a stylish mid-tempo chug as the churning rhythms allow for a series of frantic, pounding patterns and frenzied paces through the solo section and carrying through into the blazing finale for a strong effort overall.‘Rites of War’ starts with rumbling riffing and pounding drumming into a steady up-tempo full of frenzied rhythms charging along to the dynamic pounding thrash rhythms into the mid-tempo churning solo section and continuing through the final half for a solid enough effort. ‘Sin of Innocence’ takes an extended series of tribal drumming and swirling riff-work into a strong series of churning rhythms full of blazing riff-work and toughened melodies touched off with the churning mid-tempo riffing carrying through the solo section into the finale for yet another powerhouse thrasher.
The second half is slightly weaker if still enjoyable. The ballad ‘When the Magic Is Gone’ takes a series of melodic riffing and softer rhythms offering plenty of romantic arrangements along the light, breezy pace while generating more traditional pounding spurts while dropping back into the lighter patterns for the solo section and carrying into the final half for a decent-if-unmemorable effort.‘Cosmic Brain’ takes blistering drumming and charging drumming along through a stylish up-tempo pace with stuttering rhythms and heavy chugging riff-work carrying through the dynamic patterns full of scorching riffing into the solo section and keeping it through the finale for a strong highlight effort. ‘Deity Machine’ takes steady mid-tempo rhythms and pounding drumming keeping the steady mid-tempo riffing swirling through a series of bland rhythms with the steady pace holding through into the solo section and keeping the rhythms intact through the final half for the first really bland effort overall. ‘Path of the Atheist’ features a steady, rumbling series of riffing with majestic pounding drumming taking a heavy, churning series of riffing along through the fine plodding mid-tempo sections with the crunchy riffing leading into the solo section and on through the finale for a rocking-if-unessential effort overall. Finally, ‘Welcome to the Mindfactory’ utilizes a solid series of rocking up-tempo riffing swirling with raucous thrashing patterns and pounding drumming leading through the swirling technical rhythms around the blazing solo section and carrying the energy through the final half for an exciting and wholly engrossing lasting impression/
Certainly well on-par with many of their more fruitful and explosive efforts of the past even if this one doesn’t overwhelm like their true knock-out efforts did, this is still prime-era thrash at it’s greatest done by an entity around at the birth of it all which makes this one welcome enough for any raging thrash aficionado or fans of classics old-school metal.
