Hartlott - Extinction

Artist: Harlott
Release Title: Extinction
Year: 2017
Label: Metal Blade Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Extinction
2. First World Solutions
3. The Penitent
4. Whore
5. No Past
6. Conflict Revelation
7. Better Off Dead
8. Violent Conspirator
9. And Darkness Brings The Light
10. Final Weapon
11. Parasite
12. Epitaph

Drawing from their storied history, Australian thrashers Harlott have emphasized the 80's Bay Area thrash scene and blending it with the Teutonic melody and grit, they focus on high energy, up-tempo music with lyrical influence from war, religion, chaos and the human condition. Bringing new guitarist Jake Weber onboard, the groups’ third full-length effort was released April 7, 2017 on Metal Blade Records.

Offering their strong, raging sound to it’s fullest, there’s not a whole lot to dislike here as the band brings their full-throttle attack to its fiery best. Based mainly on a churning, driving series of riffing that brings out plenty of utterly ferocious rhythms here, this ends up diving and bombing into galloping territory which bringing out the fullest intensity in these rhythms. Playing most of these tracks are dynamic speed-drenched numbers complete with crunchy patterns, a thunderous rhythm section and a truly intense drive to crush forward with the oppressive riff-work featured here as the need for the fastest, most ferocious riffing possible carries this one for the most part here. When this one drops off that intensity for melody there’s still plenty of ferocious rhythms around this blistering attack that it really manages to hold itself quite nicely here as the deeper churning patterns allows this to feature plenty of blistering sections while managing to sound close enough to their general sound without being recognizably off from the general attack. There is a case to be said here about the album being somewhat overlong with a few too many tracks here which make it feel somewhat like a slough in the second half to plow through even more of the same general attacks over and over again. It works nicely but trim this by a song or two and it would improve significantly.

An utterly impressive and near-flawless release, this is a truly ferocious and fiery retro thrash offering that covers the gamut of the old-school thrash scene in fine form which makes this one of the standout groups in the scene and an easy choice for fans of their past works or the style in general.

Score: 98/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://harlottmetal.bandcamp.com/album/extinction

Evil Never Dies - Ekpyrosis

Artist: Evil Never Dies
Release Title: Ekpyrosis
Year: 2017
Label: Via Nocturne
Genre: Old-School Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Holy Mountain
2. No Cure for War
3. Epitaphs
4. It's Alive
5. (This is) Country for Old Men
6. Land With No Future
7. Imagination
8. Ekpyrosis

One of the earliest thrash bands in the country, Italian thrashers Evil Never Dies initially emerged during the height of the genre back in the early 90s, but beyond a few demo tracks never did much until their first professional output coming from EP releases in the late 2000s. Now finally able to get their first true release ready, the groups’ debut effort was released February 28, 2017 on Via Nocturna.

As befitting their old-school style, the basic approach to be found here is straightforward and decidedly old-school flavored thrashing. This goes for fairly lively crunchy patterns in the riff-work and really keeps the pacing incredibly simplistic here, alternating between straight gallops and driving mid-tempo chugs that contain quite a solid diversity to the tracks. Given that these are generally accompanied by a thunderous rhythm section and plenty of intensity, there’s a wholly enjoyable attack to be featured here that gives this one a firm touch to the old-school days. Given that this one features such a strong and generally one-note style performance, it does tend to contain a few minute missteps. The biggest issue here is that the album is basically intense but derivative, containing plenty of tight and vicious riffing but doesn’t really go further with developing them, going instead for rather plain and predictable setups that are more vicious through the genre rather than anything else. It gives the album a rather depleted feel and doesn’t really offer up that much in terms of enhancing the overall feel of the album beyond offering up more of the same rhythms and patterns, which does hold this one down somewhat. As well, that remix at the end of the album is so unnecessary that it really just drags it the album down quite a bit.

With some rather damaging flaws here and some generally enjoyable if not-that-impressive positives, overall this one just seems to be quite a bland and overall unnecessary offering that just doesn’t bring much to the table here and leaves this one only for the most devout old-school thrash fanatic.

Score: 72/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://vianocturna.bandcamp.com/album/ekpyrosis

Comaniac - Instruction for Destruction

Artist: Comaniac
Release Title: Instruction for Destruction
Year: 2017
Label: SAOL
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Coal
2. Suborned
3. Bow Low
4. Guarding Ruins
5. How to End It All
6. Self Control
7. Shattered
8. Heart of Stone
9. Forever More
10. Instruction for Destruction

Continuing to spread their thrash roots, Swiss thrashers Comaniac has spread their old-school intensity and formula throughout their career as the band has grown in stature and technique in the intervening years following a lot of special touring and shows. Following up their debut offering, the quartet’s sophomore effort was released through SAOL on April 7, 2017.

Much like their previous work, the band offers a stellar mixture of dynamic old-school influences into their attack for a generally solid approach. Driven by the chunky mid-tempo riffing, the general emphasis here is on tight rhythms offering that explosive charge into the faster, more frenzied sections of the tracks. Balancing these styles together doesn’t always work, but it hits more than enough here to feature a fine mid-tempo chugging as a main source of attack for the majority of the album which keeps the energy level going strongly for the most part. It’s when the album deviates from these efforts which manages to cause this one to stumble where it goes into a series of abstract ideas, featuring jangled riffing or semi-ballad that really just sticks out so much against the rather fun thrashing on offer here that highlights the fact that some of this feature bland, uninteresting riffs. Basing a large majority of the patterns and arrangements off of the simplistic chug-rhythms featured here tends to make several of the tracks come off as bland and lifeless which is quite problematic when this one clearly shows an ability to cope with energetic chugging patterns, so the sporadic, hit-or-miss nature of these is a bit troubling. It's less of an issue as it was on the debut, which shows some solid growth to fix this but it still pops up here which causes this to come off a bit better overall even with this issue coming into play once again.

Still prominently featuring an issue that popped up from before but also managing to fix it in some regards, there’s an obvious growth featured here that makes this come off rather nicely for fans of their previous work or fans of less dynamic old-school thrash who can stomach the flaws here.

Score: 81/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://comaniac.bandcamp.com/album/instruction-for-destruction

Deathinition - Online

Artist: Deathinition
Release Title: Online
Year: 2017
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Trvecizna
2. Złota kariera
3. Zmierzch wartości
4. Ludzkie z o.o.
5. Online
6. KłamsTVa dla mas
7. Dezinformacje24
8. Rytm konsumpcji
9. Pozer Song

Formed back in 2008, Polish thrashers Deathinition have taken on a dedicated stance to feature plenty of enjoyable old-school thrash elements with a decidedly more modern take on the genre to create one of the finest thrash attacks in the entire revivalist scene. After a successful EP release and a couple of split releases to their credit, the groups’ full-length debut offering was self-released January 28, 2017.

Much like their past works, the group is clearly indebted to the typical Bay-Area style of work in the genre just with a slightly European influence seeping through. Being filled with tough, steady galloping riff-work that packs that same crunch as an endless variety of revivalist thrash groups, this provides the album with a continuous stream of simple, enjoyable riffing patterns that makes for a nice variety of attack here. That comes from how this one goes through a nice variety of attacks here as this one slips between the tried-and-true mid-paced chugs or thrashing gallops which is quite an overall impressive experience as each one provides plenty to like about this. The chugging slows this down to the point of acting as a solid counterbalance to the far more intense galloping that gives this one a solid amount of intensity and energy which makes for a solid experience here. That, in essence, is somewhat the only flaw to this release in that there’s not a whole lot else to this one, it’s pretty much just one set factor to their approach that it really does seem somewhat of a one-note attack. There’s not a whole lot else to this one beyond either mid-tempo or faster-paced efforts, and while that does seem like a good variety for the most part there’s not much else to this one so it does wear out its welcome somewhat. Otherwise, there’s not a whole lot to lower this one.

Despite somewhat falling due to its rather one-note approach that both changes up the approach as well as offer up an overly-familiar attack for the most part, there’s still quite a lot to really enjoy here with this one that it does have some merit for fans of the revivalist thrash scene in general.

Score: 85/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://deathinition.bandcamp.com/album/online

Angelus Apatrida - Hidden Evolution

Artist: Angelus Apatrida
Release Title: Hidden Evolution
Year: 2015
Label: Century Media Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Immortal
2. First World of Terror
3. Architects
4. Tug of War
5. Serpents on Parade
6. Wanderers Forever
7. End Man
8. Speed of Light
9. I Owe You Nothing
10. Hidden Evolution

Having broken through the international market, Spanish thrashers Angelus Apatrida have gathered a formidable live reputation on the back of countless touring in their home state and abroad which has honed their razor-sharp thrash to a fine whole. After a three-year gap between releases, the consistent and long-running group prepares its fifth full-length release January 15, 2015 on Century Media Records.

As has been the case for their previous albums, this here is a ripping and furious blast of revival thrash that brings about a rather enjoyable attack throughout here. The fact that this is based on frantic swirling thrash patterns filled with plenty of furious rhythms and a strong adherence to the arrangements of the old-school scene that readily makes for a rather explosive effort here ranging from the blistering full-throttle tempos to the more relaxed and laid-back tempos. This approach is greatly enhanced by the band’s penchant for strong melodic leads woven throughout the main riff-work as well as the dexterous soloing and gives this a rather dynamic balance to counter the strong crunch of their traditional thrashing at the forefront of the bands’ attack. Given that the ravenous thrashing here makes up the majority of the album, those varied approaches are at the forefront of the album’s relentless and intense charge that gets featured strongly here at times, and that makes the melodic interjections all the more impressive and dynamic. Still, it’s the bands’ fiery charge here that makes the most impact even with these melodies sprinkled throughout here, and work incredibly well in giving this a wholly vicious and ravenous attack that gives this one so much to really like. That said, there is a lot to really like here with the album being a bit bloated with tracks a bit too long for their own good, especially in the second half with several epics that could’ve been trimmed down some and not really lost a lot of their impact at all. This, though, is really all that bothers it.

Despite having some minor issues here at keeping the rhythms as confined as they could be, this is still a ripping and thoroughly enjoyable surge of modern revival thrash that manages to work more often than not and makes for a rather appealing effort for those who satiate over the revival scene or simply thrash in general.

Score: 91/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://www.cmdistro.com/item/35598

Death Angel - The Evil Divide

Artist: Death Angel
Release Title: The Evil Divide
Year: 2016
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Genre: Old-School Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. The Moth
2. Cause for Alarm
3. Lost
4. Father of Lies
5. Hell to Pay
6. It Can't Be This
7. Hatred United/United Hate
8. Breakaway
9. The Electric Cell
10. Let the Pieces Fall

Three decades into their celebrated career, Bay Area thrash legends Death Angel remain as hungry as ever with an uncompromising urgency and unpredictability which has defined the group almost from the start of their illustrious career. With the reunion-era line-up continuing to sound as tight as possible and a maturity found in their years together, the quintet’s eighth full-length album was released May 27, 2016 on Nuclear Blast Records.

With the band firing on all cylinders in regards to their revival phase, there’s a deep, flowing hard-edged old-school attack prevalent on this one that takes their signature sound to great heights. Featuring their signature swirling speed metal patterns in ferocious tempos laying down plenty of hard-charging and dexterous rhythms that showcase plenty of fiery lead riff-work, tight patterns and furious rhythms that carry their frantic energy and relentless surging riff-work that make for a wholly impressive series of up-tempo work. Alongside these thrashers are efforts which drop that intensity for a more majestic, mid-tempo sprawling series of rhythms that go for a more atmospheric, melodic mood with a plodding energy and more pronounced melodic vocals than their more furious work, offering a strong and wholly dynamic variety that’s immensely appealing here. That charging, dynamic atmosphere here creates a truly ripping old-school feel as well with its multi-faceted tracks that range from the melodic epic intro that turns into the ripping thrasher to the melodic and straightforward mid-tempo breather which carries a strong old-school feel throughout here. This is certainly a case where the band is comfortable with this approach as there’s plenty of familiar moments within this one that brings to mind their past works with this approach, but for the most part it’s more of the same enjoyable elements that have always been part of their attack which makes this such a fun album.

Despite a big reliance on continuing to offer up more of the same here that doesn’t really bring along much variety or innovation, it’s a rather moot point on the album as there’s just such a vibrant, energetic old-school feel to this one throughout here that it’s one of the top albums of the year in the genre and is of extreme interest to old-school thrashers or thrash fanatics in general.

Score: 96/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:

http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/label/music/band/discography/details/4257294.71004.the-evil-divide.html

Eruption (Slov) - Cloaks of Oblivion

Artist: Eruption (Slov)
Release Title: Cloaks of Oblivion
Year: 2017
Label: Xtreem Music
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Pharos
2. Sanity Ascend
3. Cloaks of Oblivion
4. Drones
5. Reborn into Demise
6. The Yearning
7. This Barren Existence
8. Seven Archons
9. The Prophet

Continuing to expand their boundaries, the Slovenian thrashers under the name Eruption have kept a straightforward, consistent sound infusing their Bay-Area style characteristics with plenty of soaring melodies and a touch of class rarely found in the genre. With a five-year gap between proper efforts, the groups’ third full-length effort was originally released May 2, 2017 on Xtreem Music.

Once this gets going, it’s apparent that the layoff hasn’t halted their impressive attack in the slightest as the band is able to whip out their trademark elements effectively. This one goes for the trademarked blend of crunchy Bay Area style of riffing here leading to an enjoyable mid-tempo charge that continually manages to explode into stylized thrashing sections that still retain a strong hint of melody as well. That is an incredibly appealing attack here with the major foundation laid by the thrashing energy which melds incredibly well with the infectious melodic accents as both intermingling together give this one a varied attack featuring solid thrashing fury with a fine accessibility. When this one adapts more of a melodic base for their rhythms, the bands’ melodic accents give this one a much classier style of thrash-based attack that evokes more of a trad-metal attack, rendering this one with a stylish cross-section of variety at work here with the ability to switch between these factors being incredibly fun at times. The main issue at play here also manages to emerge here with the album being quite lackluster in the final half where these efforts are generally located. It tends to go for the long-winded traditional metal stylings that produces plodding epics more than thrashing burners which does lower the energy somewhat here. Otherwise, there’s not a whole lot else to really dislike here.

While there’s not a whole lot of real flaws featured here beyond the lowered energy in the second half of the album, it does come off a lot more enjoyable with it’s strong mix of strong old-school thrash crunch with plenty of melodic accents which makes this quite strong for fans of their previous work, old-school thrashers or revivalist thrash aficionados.

Score: 91/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://eruptionthrash.bandcamp.com/album/cloaks-of-oblivion

Distillator - Summoning the Malicious

Artist: Distillator
Release Title: Summoning the Malicious
Year: 2017
Label: Empire Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Blinded by Chauvinism
2. Mechanized Existence
3. Estates of the Realm
4. Summoning the Malicious
5. Enter the Void
6. Algorithmic Citizenship
7. Stature of Liberty
8. The King of Kings
9. Megalomania

Following up the success of their previous work, Dutch thrashers Distillator have been bound and determined to add onto their burgeoning success by taking the old-school sound and influence popular in their work to the next step by adding more of these elements to the mix. Coming back with another concept album about freedom, the trio’s sophomore album was released May 1, 2017 on Empire Records.

Building off the success they had previously, the group is in fine form here as there’s a boundless sense of energy and enthusiasm coming off these tracks. Firing off tight, ferocious rhythms in blinding patterns, raging through plenty of ferocious tempo changes rather nicely as the band tackles the ripping energy from the old-school scene in grand fashion. Buoyed by a thunderous rhythm section, this one effectively bridges rather nicely the same tight patterns from the past with a more relentless modern-day viewpoint which manages to generate an effective main attack here with the solid old-school riffing on display. Likewise, once the album switches into the more mid-tempo realm there’s far more emphasis on steady, chugging leads and straightforward rhythms that make this one incredibly fun. There’s still prominent amounts old-school rhythms and leads in the riff-work which leads to a nice amount of variation present to help offset this. That does lead into the main issue to be had here in that, much like most of the work in this scene, it’s all pretty much a repeat of what came before. There isn’t a whole lot of creative or original work to be had here, leaving in far too many references to the past and really making it hard to take the group seriously with the amount of recycled work here. Still, it’s the enthusiasm that should win out here.

While nowhere near as original or creative as many other entries in the style, the fact that there’s still quite a lot to like here with the bands’ general attitude and intensity in their approach that it does serve as an intriguing choice for those looking for more revivalist-style or old-school thrash in general.

Score: 87/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://distillator.bandcamp.com/album/summoning-the-malicious-2017

Hellias - Eight Cardinal Sins

Artist: Hellias
Release Title: Eight Cardinal Sins
Year: 2017
Label: Thrashing Madness Productions
Genre: Old-School Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Intro
2. Devilish Circle
3. Eight Cardinals Sins
4. Ant Democracy
5. Mental Violence
6. Angels Make War
7. Deliverance
8. Pair of Sparks
9. Twelve Angry Man
10. Baader Meinhof
11. Sin City (AC/DC cover)
12. Judas the King

Ever since their reformation, Polish thrash legends Hellias have continued to bring their rousing brand of Eastern European-styled take on the Bay Area formula of thrash that originally brought them out of the underground back in the late 80s. Still fighting hard after the eight-year gap between releases, the groups’ fifth full-length overall was originally released February 10, 2017 on Thrashing Madness Productions.

Forged through their decades of work, the album here clearly and dominantly showcases their love and enjoyment of the Old-School style of thrash. This means the album is full of tight, slightly technical riffing featuring a generally steady mid-tempo crunch that makes for a much more pronounced charge than expected here, with the fine ability to shift into a heavy-handed groove-style series of rhythms to add that extra boost to the proceedings also thrown in as well. That keeps the album with a nice violent streak in terms of intensity as well, as the swirling patterns add a thoroughly rewarding punch to the classic riff-work featured in here. While on the whole this approach gives it a fine and enjoyable approach, this does create the issue of the album going through the lower-intensity efforts when it’s not firing away on the thrash as the more groove-inspired rhythms here do give this one a slightly more restrained feel which gives this a much greater discrepancy in tone than expected. The fiery and energetic riffing styles are drained somewhat slightly by the lowered intensity found there, and it really lowers this somewhat. Still, that’s not a big issue for it’s not as constant or consistent as the more enjoyable elements are.

With some rather stylish thrashing alongside some minor problematic issues, there’s still more than enough fun at play here for fans of the bands’ previous work or the less-discerning old-school thrash aficionados who will quite like the attack here while those looking for more fervent thrash will likely find it decent at best.

Score: 75/10

Does it sound good? Order it from here:

https://www.discogs.com/Hellias-Eight-Cardinal-Sins/release/9801689

Assaulter (It) - Meat Grinder

Artist: Assaulter (It)
Release Title: Meat Grinder
Year: 2017
Label: EBM Records
Genre: Speed Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Assaulter
2. Meat Grinder
3. Dead End Siding
4. Terror World
5. L.M.T.
6. Liesocracy
7. Mind Control
8. Pay to Play
9. After the Countdown
10. Bestial Vomit

Formed in late 2007, the Italian speed/thrashers named Assaulter have quietly set out to bring forth their odes to old-school speed and thrash metal as a slew of lineup issues initially kept their first release until 2012 when the band had become faster and much more technical. Now finally at the time to unleash their first professional release, the bands’ full-length debut was released April 12, 2017 on EBM Records.

Bringing the fire and fury from their early work, there’s plenty of rather strong and impressive work throughout here which makes for a fine start. The basic style here of utilizing the speed metal riff-work, firing off the tight and thunderous riffing which really amps up the intensity of these speed metal riffs. There’s a strong and dynamic attack here that makes for a rather enjoyable approach here with the fiery riff-work zipping along at those far more vicious and frantic patterns that makes for a far more engaging time here with the thrilling old-school thrash rhythms still on-track here keeping this one with a rumbling, heavy backbone to the speed-metal lashings and furthers this one quite nicely. While the basic experience here is quite enjoyable and makes for a really solid starting point, the fact that there’s a minor flaw here makes for a somewhat lesser experience where the album goes into way too many half-a-minute instrumental interludes that interrupts the flow of the release a little too much to really take the main intensity out of the album. Rather, this one feels like they could’ve been more as proper song intros rather than separate tracks, and it stifles the album somewhat, but even with this there’s not a whole lot really wrong elsewhere here.

Coming along rather nicely here with plenty of really enjoyable and frantic speed metal assaults laced with solid thrash metal leanings, a few minor shake-ups in the running order does hold it down slightly enough here for this one to really be of interest for those looking for speed metal or solid old-school thrash.

Score: 85/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://ebmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/meat-grinder-2

Töxik Waltz - Declassified

Artist: Töxik Waltz
Release Title: Declassified
Year: 2016
Label: Eventhink Metal Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Abduction
2. Thrash Metal Dictatorship
3. Beyond the Wall of Sleep
4. Island of Death
5. Politician
6. Srebrenica
7. Octogenarian Violence
8. Loudmouth
9. Thrashing Like a Maniac

Formed back in 2009, Spanish thrashers Töxik Waltz came together as Madhouse before adopting their current moniker following a slew of lineup changes that signified the bands’ current direction to deliver the most old-school sounding thrash in the scene. Finally able to expand beyond the boundaries of their home country, the groups’ debut full-length was initially released September 10, 2016 on Eventhink Metal Records.

Harboring the love for their old-school style, the group is clearly and obviously intent on exploring that style throughout here which makes for a rather impressive time. Focusing on tight, crunchy riff-work and a generous mid-tempo pacing for this series of patterns, there’s a wholly enjoyable series of rhythms throughout here due to the album generating this impressive style of old-school flavored attack. It’s pretty simplistic overall and really only generates any kind of special energy with the selected addition of fiery, frantic riffing that adds a much-needed sense of energy into the otherwise one-note rhythms elsewhere throughout the album which is what tends to be it’s lone minor downfall. The album contains plenty of tight, crunchy patterns and certainly competent performances, but otherwise, there’s not a whole lot else throughout here to get as worked up about considering the lack of variety in the overall presentation as the album tends to focus on the mid-tempo almost exclusively. This can make the album somewhat repetitive as it carries along, especially with all the tracks pretty much the exact same length of time overall, so this one gets a great attack that’s carried to excessive lengths of repetition here with the same riffing, and while this can be overlooked due not only to the enjoyment carried out here by the competence of their attack as well as this being a debut offering, it does lower this one slightly.

Although it does need a little extra variety and a series of different rhythms to help distinguish them from the pack, this is still an incredibly solid and enjoyable burst of old-school influenced mid-paced thrash that works well enough for devout followers of that style or those that enjoy the more mid-paced side of the genre.

Score: 75/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://toxikwaltz.bandcamp.com/album/declassified

Impalers (Den) - Styx Demon: The Master of Death EP

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.

Score: 90/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://www.impalers.bigcartel.com/product/styx-demon-the-master-of-death-ep-pre-order

Mutilator (Bra) - Immortal Force

Artist: Mutilator (Bra)
Release Title: Immortal Force
Year: 1987 (2016 reissue)
Label: Cogumelo Records (Greyhaze Records reissue)
Genre: Thrash/Death Metal
Tracklisting (original):
1. Memorial Stone Without a Name
2. Blood Storm
3. Butcher
4. War Dogs
5. Mutilator
6. Brigade of Hate
7. Immortal Force
8. Tormented Soul
9. Paranoic Command

Reissue Tracklisting:
1. Memorial Stone Without a Name
2. Blood Storm
3. Butcher
4. War Dogs
5. Mutilator
6. Brigade of Hate
7. Immortal Force
8. Tormented Soul
9. Paranoic Command
10. Evil Conspiracy (Demo)
11. Visions of Darkness (Demo)

Formed back in 1985, Brazilian death/thrash metallers under the name Mutilator were one of the handfull of acts at the forefront of the country’s extreme metal explosion that laid the foundation for the majority of acts to come in the later years to follow. One of the more important and influential albums in the original scene, the groups’ full-length debut was originally released in May 1987 on legendary Cogumelo Records before a variety of reissues including a vinyl version on June 10, 2016 on Greyhaze Records.

Given their time of activity and country of origin, there’s little surprise about what to be found in this release as it’s quite familiar in its approach. This offers up plenty of rabid thrashing rhythms in chaotic, frenetic patterns which offer barely-contained rhythms that explode in energetic outbursts after sections of quiet sprawling between these sections. This set-up, familiar to a large variety of bands from this scene, makes for quite a schizophrenic act with the rather ferocious, raw riff-work throughout here leaving the album full of fast-paced work with wild soloing and plenty of blistering drumming to accompany the frantic work within. Given all this frantic and wild material, there’s a lot of utterly vicious thrashing on display which is surely given a phenomenal boost by the atypical production work. This features that wild and raw sounding production which comes off making the material sound just that extra bit of sloppiness to appear unrehearsed and off-the-cuff like a typical jam session caught on tape, and yet for this album it works perfectly in letting the razor-wire riffing attain that style of speed and urgency which makes for a wholly defined sense of chaos within the music. This is one of the album’s strengths and helps to strengthen the connection between these acts and the more extreme works to come later on, giving this the feel of an important stepping stone in history while enhancing the enjoyment of the work isolated from its legacy. Some might not take that to mean much as it can come off sloppy and disorganized, but it makes for a great time here.

Being quite the impressive and truly vicious thrash release, this is one of the more important releases in the crowded scene from that time-period and works more often than not, making this one a rather influential release and this version of the album essential for all fans of raw, rabid early death/thrash metal.

Score: 95/100

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https://greyhazerecords.bandcamp.com/album/immortal-force

Warbringer - Woe to the Vanquished

Artist: Warbringer
Release Title: Woe to the Vanquished
Year: 2017
Label: Napalm Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Silhouettes
2. Woe to the Vanquished
3. Remain Violent
4. Shellfire
5. Descending Blade
6. Spectral Asylum
7. Divinity of Flesh
8. When the Guns Fell Silent

Continuing to evolve through the years, reactivated Los Angeles thrashers Warbringer have continued to utilize their continued expansion of progressive elements into their trademark sound to further their stance as one of the revival thrash scenes leaders. Now coming back to active duty following their previous lineup implosion, the groups’ fifth full-length effort was released March 31, 2017 on Napalm Records.

Taking the charge right from the beginning, it’s obvious that the break didn’t change their initial standings as the music still screams their classic vibe. For the most part, this features tight, ferocious riff-work and blistering paces that fully retain the chaotic vibe of the bands’ early material which is a prominent feature throughout here. Diving and buzzing through the various series of ravenous tempo changes featured here makes for an utterly blistering and pummeling experience, with the ferocious patterns coming from all sides and never relenting in their mission statement offering up this fiery brand of thrash. The only breaks from the all-out assault here come from the decision to drop the ravenous tempos in favor of more relaxed melodic chugging and extravagant leads that serve their heavy-handed rhythms and bombast quite nicely, giving this one an incredibly effective series of breathers that serve not only the full-throttle section of the album but gives this a rather sharp contrast to make for an even more effective work here. The brevity of the album as a whole might be something to get over, as it requires the ten-plus minute epic simply to reach a prominent length could be an issue, yet that’s really nitpicking this one and it’s quite an effective effort overall.

Full of raging, intense thrash and plenty of solid songs, there’s plenty to like and even something to love about this release which brings their legacy back to the forefront as one of the pioneers of the genre and makes for a no-doubt interest for those that liked their past work or any revivalist thrash fan as well.

Score: 99/100

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http://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/store/sound/cd-s/warbringer-woe-to-the-vanquished-cd.html

Havok - Conformicide

Artist: Havok
Release Title: Conformicide
Year: 2017
Label: Century Media Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. F.P.C.
2. Hang 'Em High
3. Dogmaniacal
4. Intention to Deceive
5. Ingsoc
6. Masterplan
7. Peace Is in Pieces
8. Claiming Certainty
9. Wake Up
10. Circling the Drain
11. String Break
12. Slaughtered (Pantera cover)

Trying to lead the charge for the genre, Colorado thrashers Havok have been at the forefront of the revivalist scene since their formation a decade ago as they set out to carry the ideals and intensity of their forefathers to the current trend of thrashers. With the addition of new bassist Nick Schendzielos to replace Mike Leon, the group springs forth it’s fourth full-length effort March 10, 2017 on new-label Century Media Records.

Much like their previous efforts, this one tends to dwell incredibly heavily in the realm of worshipping the old-school classics of the genre with a more modern touch. The riffing here is a direct touch on the original forms of the genre, from the raucous high-energy affairs that bring along the tight, rapid paces they follow through, and with the blistering rhythms carried along quite nicely. With these in fine array throughout here already, the album’s penchant for slowing down into a crushing mid-tempo style brings about a nice variety to really balance out the furious and intense blasters throughout here, and with the album as a whole carrying on between these distinct styles as it ranges from the furious, massive thrashers to the spindly, mid-range grooves there’s a nice degree of separation and distinction to the tracks that can be found here. That said, the album generally doesn’t come off as intense or sharp as it could when it’s not focused on the rousing thrash-work featured and staying more on those mid-tempo efforts here as they’re simply dry, mechanical and meandering far more than they really should be. It could be due to these making the album feeling more stretched out than it really should, but whenever the album isn’t bringing the speed and ferocity the song dips as a whole whether it’s the whole track or just a snippet. That is somewhat disappointing but considering the fact that it’s vicious far more often than not it’s not terribly crippling as is expected.

While it’s not as vicious and hard-hitting as expected due to the rather disappointing nature of it’s less ferocious material, the fact that the majority of the album tends to remain nicely on point in regards to its rather frantic energies makes this a solid choice for all revivalist thrash fanatics or fans of the previous work in general.

Score: 84/100

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https://www.indiemerchstore.com/item/44086

Fabulous Desaster - Hang 'Em High

Artist: Fabulous Desaster
Release Title: Hang 'Em High
Year: 2016
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Death Is Loud
2. Faster than Light
3. Warsaw
4. Thrash Bang Wallop
5. Midnight Fistfight
6. Wellness in Hell
7. R.I.P. (Rest in POWER)
8. Thrash Metal Symphony
9. Toxic Nuclear War
10. Customized

Formed just in 2010, German thrashers Fabulous Desaster have quite quickly run wild through the crowded thrash underground in their homeland by adopting the most direct and unflinching brand of retro thrash homage in the whole of the album. Now, seven years later the band is finally able to come together to produce their self-released debut album on November 19, 2016.

All factors considered here, it should be no surprise what kind of thrash is present throughout here with this one being wrapped so tightly in the 80s. This here is all built around the typical Bay Area-style crunch with the riff-work as the tight, controlled patterns are essentially mid-tempo chugging that was a hallmark of that scene, and appear as the main driving force of the album. When this one switches gears and goes for the frantic up-tempo charge, there’s a lot more to like here with the spindly rhythms and wild patterns kicking the energy up nicely in addition to the albums’ distinct crunch. These two combine together into creating a thick, vibrant burst of thrashing madness throughout here, and with the energetic tempos this contains even within the more mid-tempo sections it creates a rather fun and enjoyable effort although it does contain a rather prominent and noticeable flaw due to this set-up. There’s just no escaping the fact that this one is so devout and unyielding in its old-school influences that it really doesn’t offer up much in the way of original work here, running through the revival thrash playbook and keeping straight on with that style throughout here. That ends up leaving this one mostly mired in repetitious fashion around the same style rhythms and patterns as most others in this set-up, and it’s what really holds this back even though it’s not as detrimental as expected.

Despite having way too many issues of familiarity that strike so many of the revivalist scene thrash acts, there’s plenty of enjoyable elements peppered throughout this one that it will surely please any fan of revivalist thrash or those who specifically enjoy this crunchy Bay-Area style of thrash.

Score: 85/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://fabulousdesaster.bandcamp.com/album/hang-em-high

Nukem - The Unholy Trinity

Artist: Nukem
Release Title: The Unholy Trinity
Year: 2016
Label: Sleaszy Rider Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. WarWolf
2. Evelyn's Awakening
3. The Atomic Age
4. The Deceiver
5. BloodSeeker
6. T.V. Crimes (Black Sabbath cover)
7. D.O.I.
8. Lethal Injection
9. Lucida Sidera
10. Nukem All
11. Suspicious Minds (Elvis Presley cover)

Formed just in 2012, Southern California thrashers Nukem has been hitting it hard on the live front as the veteran group brings their seasoned experience to bear on their classic sound into a driving, honest thrash attack that showcases those elements quite fully. Finally making it to their first professional release, the groups’ debut effort was released September 16, 2016 on Sleaszy Rider Records.

Using their experience to the fullest, there’s an utterly ripping and devastating old-school charge throughout this one that makes for a thrilling experience. Frantically blasting away with reckless intention, the group immediately charges through a whirlwind of utterly tight and ferocious thrash rhythms that manages to include a flurry of Bay Area-inspired riff-work that focuses on all manner of tempos and patterns here. This one goes from raging full-throttle barnburners full of blistering drum work alongside the reckless riffing that packs in tons of wild chaotic soloing and frenzied rhythms, drops down into stuttering mid-tempo charges that still blitz along at a fine clip and then features solid melodic interludes spliced among its more engaging elements to leave this one with a respectful usage of older thrash songwriting structures which adds to the engaging appreciation for the old-school featured throughout here. The only thing that stumbles this one up slightly is the album’s inclusion of the two cover tracks which aren’t so bad taken out of context and enjoyed on their own, but the fact that they hold up the running time here to give the group less of a chance to make a mark is a slight disappointment given that there’s so much to like when they do make that impression. As well, there’s the little instrumental break that comes just before the album finishes up which is a rather odd placing and one that doesn’t seem to need to be there much less placed in that order in the album. Overall, though, these here aren’t in the slightest bit detrimental against the enjoyable elements present here.

With some minor issues and a boatload of surprisingly effective positives featured throughout here, this one offers up a rather interesting and impressive amount of good work here that will serve them well in their career and makes this a solid choice for fans of old-school thrash or revivalist fans in general.

Score: 94/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://nukem.bigcartel.com/

Freakings - Toxic End

Artist: Freakings
Release Title: Toxic End
Year: 2017
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Hell on Earth
2. Future Vision
3. Violent Disaster
4. TxWxNxD
5. Toxic End
6. Friendly Fire
7. Brain Dead
8. Price of Freedom
9. Wave of Pain
10. Beer Attack
11. No More Excuses

Continuing to charge forward in their quest, Swiss thrashers Freakings have spent their existence wallowing in the belief that their honoring of the old-school gods of the genre will give them the necessary strength to forge a new path for themselves. Now finally able to make their most comprehensive take on the style, the power-trio prepares it’s third full-length effort self-released March 6, 2017.

Channeling their old-school heroes, it’s patently obvious throughout this one that there’s a major focus on them homaging the works of the past efforts in the genre. That gives this one plenty of incendiary thrashing riff-work full of frenzied, chaotic rhythms in short bursts of speed that makes for a fiery showing of old-school thrash worship. With the majority of these efforts going through blazing full-throttle tempos that exploit these wild and charging rhythms, the effort comes off even more like the old-school scene with these being given such a suitable background to propel these fiery, frantic rhythms pummeling along to the utterly pounding drumming and scorching soloing. For the most part, that leaves this with a lot to really like even though it does highlight a minor issue with this one in that the album’s short, frenzied attack doesn’t do much for the album as a whole. The tracks oftentimes have a tendency to blend together into a blend of ravenous thrashing that’s all in the same general tempo which can make for a great time although it comes off way too familiar way too quickly as there’s no variation or let-up at all. Given the frenzied energy and utter competence on display, this goes a long way towards overcoming that issue but it’s still prominent enough to be noticeable.

With a lot of rather impressive thrashing on display and only a few minor quibbles that for the most part do hold it back some but are not altogether detrimental, this comes off rather nicely for fans of the bands’ past works or ardent revivalist thrash fanatics although those looking for more originality in their thrash should heed caution at best.

Score: 82/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://www.freakings.ch/merch

Overkill - The Grinding Wheel

Artist: Overkill
Release Title: The Grinding Wheel
Year: 2017
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Genre: Old-School Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Mean Green Killing Machine
2. Goddamn Trouble
3. Our Finest Hour
4. Shine On
5. The Long Road
6. Let's All Go to Hades
7. Come Heavy
8. Red White and Blue
9. The Wheel
10. The Grinding Wheel

Remaining true to the old-school, New Jersey thrash legends Overkill have been at the helm of the scene since the early 80s without ever receiving the credit due for keeping the genre as big as it is as they’ve amassed a back-catalog that rivals anyone in the genre from start to finish. With a line-up firing at the top of their game, their celebrated nineteenth album was originally released February 10, 2017 on Nuclear Blast Records.

It should come as to no surprise what the band has been doing in their latest resurgence during the past decade, and for the most part that remains true of their latest release. An overwhelmingly vast amount of the material here comes off with a great sense reflection on their past employing their trademark swirling thrash riffing and pounding rhythms that once again displays their penchant for dynamic tempo shifts that makes the music far more interesting than most suspect. Elsewhere on the album, the band continues to explore their long-standing infusion of groove into their sound that keeps their straightforward sections as biting and intense as ever. Capable of carrying their swirling patterns and clanking rhythms into intense sections without relying on their raging speed-drenched paces that are a staple of their sound, it’s all quite familiar in the best way possible by carrying on a traditional feel of their own past rather than looking at anything else in the genre which makes the fiery, explosive material sound rich, dynamic and full of energy that thrashes and rages with the most explosive. Just to nitpick, the album doesn’t really feature the greatest production with the guitars sounding far too clean and lacking the bite that usually comes from their sound. However, this is again nitpicking as the album contains everyone necessary to be enjoyable.

A nearly-flawless release that has so much to really like about it, this might not be as important or influential as the bands’ past history might be but it is so good at what it does that it stands up as an upper-tier inclusion in their style and makes for another worthy piece to their collection or just metal fans in general.

Score: 98/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://shop.nuclearblast.com/en/products/sound/cd/cd-digi/overkill-the-grinding-wheel-digipak-.html

F.O.A.D. - Birth of Extinction

Artist: F.O.A.D.
Release Title: Birth of Extinction
Year: 2016
Label: Defense Records
Genre: Old-School Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Avoid the Smell of Semen
2. Chaos of Reign
3. Legion of the Dead
4. Doomed Rebirth of Christ
5. Deathcamp VIII
6. Bastard Son
7. Holiday in Armenia
8. Among the Living Carcass
9. Bastard Son
10. Doomed Rebirth of Christ
11. Morbid Truth

Initially formed back in the 1980s, Swedish thrashers F.O.A.D. existed in various forms until 2012 when the bands’ line-up solidified and the group was able to finally release their first song before proper demo material arrived several years later. Recorded as a three-piece before being joined by second guitarist Steffan Johansson, the groups’ full-length demo bolstered by their demos was originally released November 25, 2016 on Defense Records.

Being conceived in the original birth of the genre, there’s quite a lot of rather impressive old-school moments on display throughout this one. This readily employs fiery, frantic thrash riffing and charging patterns sweeping along at generous, dynamic patterns full of vicious thrash that rips out tight, energetic rhythms that are full of a dark, decrepit atmosphere straight from the genre’s early days. Keeping the ravenous work in check is a series of more mid-tempo and crunchy style of riffing that enables for a still-intense if slightly more melodic series of rhythm patterns that lets the riff-work breathe a little more and opening up a nice variation for the material to not remain strictly one-dimensional which besets the album’s single biggest qualm. The album isn’t really that distinguished by a great deal of innovative and memorable moments as the vast majority of the album rips through its blend of fiery arrangements that are competently pulled off and executed but don’t have much else going for them. There are points where it dips into the familiar quite too often to dole out the violence, and it doesn’t really handle the kind of impact it really should. Likewise, the fact that this one comes complete with demo recordings that are quite obviously of a lower quality and taken from a different recording session yet is passed off as a full-length makes for a jarring and nonsensical feel which causes this to stick out rather sharply. Overall, though, considering it’s a debut it’s not too much of a detriment.

Overall not all that terrible of a release and certainly one with its fair share of positives, the fact that there’s quite a lot to really like with the influx of old-school rhythms and arrangements, no matter how cliche and familiar they may be, make for a nice addition to any old-school thrash fan in particular.

Score: 79/100

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