Acid Age - Like a Runaway Combine Harvester in a Field of Crippled Rabbits

Artist: Acid Age
Release Title: Like a Runaway Combine Harvester in a Field of Crippled Rabbits
Year: 2016
Label: Witches Brew
Genre: Crossover Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Like a Runaway Combine Harvester in a Field of Crippled Rabbits
2. Shotgun in Your Mouth
3. Hell Is in the South Sea
4. Manifesto de Hyper Thrash
5. Try to Hide from Frankenstein's Bride
6. Thrash Novelty
7. Bloodthirsty Jawbreaker
8. The Prank Call

Following the success of their past release, Irish thrashers Acid Age has soldiered on with plenty of critical support and live dates that has honed their hyper-thrash style into a fervent cocktail of explosive metal. Bringing their style to the forefront on their second full-length album, this was originally released June 24, 2016 on new-label Witches Brew.

For the most point this one here manages to readily explore the kind of feverish up-tempo thrashing found in the kind of modern crossover styles with the riffing here generating the kind of frantic, straightforward patterns that simply bleed speed. The blinding technicality and ability to deftly maneuver through a variety of dynamic tempo changes that manages to feature plenty of work here from choppy crossover-fueled rhythms to stuttering mid-tempo thrash and then frantic full-throttle modern-tinged rhythms here all with a fine ease. There’s plenty of spectacularly rabid riffing in these sections where it really overwhelms with it’s speed and technically-proficient pattern changes, though it also signals the start of the album’s minor flaws. The album’s rather one-note approach here with that riffing style is what somewhat hurts this one as there’s just not all too many chances to really focus on the ravenous riffing as there’s simply not much to the album. It’s too short and really condensed with only a few real chances to get this going as it’s blistering riff-work runs this through so quickly that it’s onto it’s next track before it really gets a chance to explore these rhythms even more, and it’s really the only thing that holds this one back.

With plenty of rather enjoyable elements here really upset only by the fact that there’s too much one-note work that gets exposed only through the lack of chances here, it’s really fun and exciting enough to work itself out to be a solid choice for hardcore crossover thrash aficionados though others might want to heed caution with this one.

Score: 78/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://acidage.bandcamp.com/album/like-a-runaway-combine-harvester-in-a-field-of-crippled-rabbits

Debunker - The Invisible Disorder EP

Artist: Debunker
Release Title: The Invisible Disorder EP
Year: 2015
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Groove/Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. The Invisible Disorder
2. The Logical Zombie
3. After the War
4. Red Shift
5. Blindsided

The debut EP from Portuguese groove-laced thrashers Debunker starts off their career in fine form with a rather appealing and intriguing effort with a lot to like. This here is mostly based around the kind of tight, raging groove riff-work which is quite an appealing ploy by enabling a kind of vicious, intense aggression to the tracks which makes for quite an impressive take here that comes from that kind of tightly-wound groove throughout the effort. There’s even a sense of variety within the tempos as well where there’s a difference in the driving riff-work full of more atmospheric parts to the tracks that’s somewhat removed from the straightforward pieces that typify more groove-centered efforts, and that’s a quite impressive mixture for these styles to get pulled off throughout here, though it does seem to feel a little short overall here with the short tracks sometimes being quite abrupt before it leads into the next effort. This quite easily could’ve been a more full-length.with the work here, and this really starts building up to a great time before it quickly ends, which really keeps it down.

The tracks here are quite fun and have a lot to like. The title track opens into a rousing series of rumbling drumming and tight, groove thrashing that settles into a rousing mid-tempo thumping pace as the swirling groove rhythms keep the utterly pummeling drumming through the surging solo section and on through the blasting final half for an utterly impressive opening effort. ‘The Logical Zombie’ features tight, swirling riffing pounding alongside the tight drumming into a stylish mid-tempo series of rhythms keeping an intense series of churning riff-work thumping along to the blistering and frantic solo section and holding on through the finale for a slightly weaker but still enjoyable track. ‘After the War’ uses a tight, simple series of groove-filled riff-work with a steady, simplistic pace leading along through the up-tick into more energetic and thrash-filled rhythms into a charging solo section and moving along throughout the pounding drumming of the final half for a strong overall effort. ‘Red Shift’ takes a strong, immediate groove riff through a raging, tight blast of frantic energy through the charging rhythms with a series of strong, pounding drumming thumping along to the rather simplistic rhythms with the soaring solo section keeping up the intensity into the finale for a strong and enjoyable effort. Lastly, album-closer ‘Blindsided’ takes a simplistic and gradual build-up series of riffing into the series of frantic groove rhythms and pounding drumming keeping the simple rhythms and the fine thumping drumming that works along the solo section and into the charging final half for an enjoyable effort that ends this one nicely.

Though it does seem a little short with it’s brief ending overall, there’s still a plentiful vibe and energy that carries throughout the tracks here that makes it quite enjoyable which starts off their career nicely, making for a suitable time for those into the more aggressive and brutalizing thrash efforts.

Score: 84/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://debunker.bandcamp.com/

Devolted - Broken Kings EP

Artist: Devolted
Release Title: Broken Kings EP
Year: 2016
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Heavy/Thrash 'n Roll
Tracklisting:
1. My Monster
2. Dogs of War
3. God of Light
4. Broken Kings

The second EP from Irish metallers Devolted offers up some rather pleasing moments here with a rather varied attack that works more often than not. Built around a mainly thrash-inspired base where they tend to get utilized more playing hard rock-styled rhythms when mixed with the rest of the rhythms on display, this builds a maddeningly inconsistent approach here where there’s a multitude of rhythms and tempos throughout each track that really stands out against the others. Going from a thumping mid-tempo hard rock outing laced alongside more hard-edged thrashing leaves a rather weird and unimpressive mixture that comes off with a rather haphazard and disjointed feel. There’s a sense of it coming together and trying to be a cohesive sound as the bands’ trying to spread their influences out here with releases like this that try to hone that out to a point, and there’s moments where this works but overall it’s still a little haphazard.

The tracks featured here aren’t all that bad and have some solid points at times. Opener ‘My Monster’ takes sharp, rattling riff-work and tight drumming that brings about a tight, sturdy mid-tempo pace with rocking rhythms along the churning grooves of the main rhythms holding the sluggish patterns along into the fiery solo section and holding on through the final half for a solid opening effort. ‘Dogs of War’ uses thumping, heavy thrashing rhythms and dynamic churning riff-work that turns into a raucous up-tempo series of riffing and dynamic drumming that holds the fiery energetic riffing along through the stuttering mid-tempo grooves churning along through the raucous finale for another rather enjoyable highlight. ‘God of Light’ features raucous rocking riff-work and plenty of charging drumming leading into the swirling rock riff-work leading along through the kick into far more energetic thrashing that merges nicely with the rocking patterns leading along throughout the final half for a decent enough effort. Lastly, the title track goes through a slow-building intro with tight, pounding drumming and rather fine riffing leading through the more up-tempo rocking rhythms with a fine series of up-tempo leads running into the pounding drumming throughout the fiery solo section and into the finale for another rather enjoyable effort that ends this on a nice note.

Though there’s a few minor stumbling blocks along the way here with it’s rather chaotic sound, there’s some really enjoyable moments here where this one gets enough working for it that it really remains a viable choice for those who want a little something different from the normal thrash worlds.

Score: 70/100

Does it sound good? Order from here:
http://devoltedband.bandcamp.com/album/broken-kings