REVIEW DRAFT - The Pit

Holy Moses - Master of Disaster (2001)

I was quite familiar with the Germans' first two full-lengths, but didn't follow their career any further than that. There was a massive upturn in quality from the debut, Queen of Siam to the sophomore, so I was interested to hear what trajectory their career had taken from the latter's release in 1987 to this in 2001. Master of Disaster is a five-track EP and clocks in at seventeen minutes, it consists of fairly savage crossover-ish thrash that isn't actually too far removed from what we heard on Finished With the Dogs. However, it doesn't possess the '87 full-length's rawness and so lacks a lot of the charisma that album manages to exude. Singer Sabina has a harsh, ragged line in punk-ish shrieking vocals that here sound much more forced and overdone than they did on FWtD and so are diminished to my ears - I don't know whether the emergence of others like Angela Gossow affected her vocal delivery, but it just seems like she is trying too hard. The riffs are meaty and musically the band sound very tight, but very little actually stands out and grabs you. It's not bad and at 17 minutes it doesn't last long enough to irritate, but I was kind of hoping that the decade and a half since Finished With the Dogs might have produced something more impressive.

3/5

Time for another Review Draft for The Pit. This month's pick order will be as follows...

1. Sonny

2. Vinny

3. Ben

The six releases to select from are... (drumroll)...

Sonny gets first pick...

I'll take the Fog of War album. An album with a cover that bad has got to be great, right guys? ....guys?

Over to you Vinny.

A bit of Onslaught seems sensible enough for me.

Over to you Ben.

I'll take the Trepalium EP. Never heard them before, so should be interesting.

Onslaught - Killing Peace (2007)

There is a perhaps negligible amount of Onslaught in my thrash music catalogue given my penchant for this sub-genre. I have not made this a conscious effort by any means but I can only surmise that nothing has grabbed me all that well during the various outings I have given the band over the years. Needless to say that Killing Peace is not what I expected, it is marginally more groove metal than it is thrash which does not make it a bad record, just an unexpected outcome I guess.

As a result, the album lacks a sense of rhythm overall. It is not devoid of rhythm by any means but lacks the requisite level of consistent chug and chop that you would expect of an established thrash act like Onslaught. It is still an album that is stacked full of riffs however and has a big sound behind the production job that compliments the vocals, guitars and drums superbly.

The delirious energy of Sy Keeler’s vocals (a la Blitz's style in Overkill) is endearing enough on its own to carry the album but the guitars of Jordan and Rockett fire out flares of monstrous Machine Head-like riffs. When the record does revert to a more thrashy format it is with a distinctly modern edge that resembles very little of the old-school thrash metal blueprint. Whilst the power and aggression is there this is an album that is consciously seeking catchiness from more 90’s groove references than anything the band put out themselves in the 80’s.  There are a lot of Slayer riffs hiding in here though from around the South of Heaven and Seasons in the Abyss era that you do not have to search all that hard to find.

However, this was a comeback album after more than fifteen years after they parted ways and they certainly came back with a bang. They proved they could match the younger crop of bands in the energy stakes without sounding contrived or indeed having to try all that hard. For an old-school thrasher like me, Killing Peace is not an album I will be revisiting any time soon but it is still a very solid groove metal album for fans of the sub-genre.

3.5/5

Trepalium - Voodoo Moonshine (2014)

This is my first time listening to Trepalium and I have to say it's been interesting to say the least. I'd noticed the avant-garde metal tag applied to it, so expected something out of the ordinary, but I wasn't at all prepared for what I got. I don't know if this is representative of what this French band normally produce, but what we have here is a mix of funk, groove and... I don't know... swing? That description's not really doing it justice, so let me try again. Can you imagine The Muppets doing a metal cabaret based on the film Metropolis? No? Well, Voodoo Moonshine may just scratch an itch you never knew you had!

Once I came to grips with the style, I've spent quite a bit of time letting it sink in before making any sort of judgement. The result is that I do quite enjoy this EP. At only 23 minutes in length, it doesn't overstay it's welcome, and the six tracks on offer are reasonably consistent in quality. That said, there are certainly aspects that grate on me, and despite the release having a very unique sound, it doesn't compete with the genius songwriting and hilarity of Mr. Bungle's debut (which I consider a distant ancestor). Points for something different though, and I'm certainly glad I've danced with these wangas!

3.5 stars

I'll take the Fog of War album. An album with a cover that bad has got to be great, right guys? ....guys?

Over to you Vinny.

I still can't believe you first picked this. 

I must admit that I'm hoping you manage to get to it (totally fine if you don't though!). Call me intrigued.

I'll take the Fog of War album. An album with a cover that bad has got to be great, right guys? ....guys?

Over to you Vinny.

I still can't believe you first picked this. 

I must admit that I'm hoping you manage to get to it (totally fine if you don't though!). Call me intrigued.

And so shall it be:

Fog of War - Fog of War (2009)

Let's get one thing out of the way, this is nowhere near as terrible as that terrible cover art would have you think and let's face it, that is one of the most amateurish album covers you are ever likely to encounter, luckily the music is not. Released in 2009, Fog of War is a product of the thrash revival movement of the 2000's and, to be honest, is a pretty decent effort when compared to some. It is unpretentious and energetic with solid thrashin' riffs and a respectable level of competency.

The production has a good clarity and all the instruments shine through, although there are a couple of tracks where the snare starts to grate a little, Death Penalty being the most obvious - no it's not St. Anger levels of intrusiveness, but just enough to set off an alarm. The vocals are functional, singer and rhythm guitarist Josh "Mosh" Branum's singing sits in the punk-derived crossover spectrum of thrash metal vocalists. But where Fog of War scores well is in the guitar work, both rhythm and lead. The riffs are great for any would-be moshpit warrior to abuse their body to and the lead work is actually really good. There are some brilliantly incendiary solos which come fairly thick and fast - check out Enforcer for a terrific fretboard workout - and these elevate the album from a fairly mundane, by-the-numbers product of the thrash revival conveyor belt to something that actually stands out from the crowd and makes me want to return to it again. Sure, as things proceed you start to notice a bit of filler, but tracks like the opening title track, the aforementioned Enforcer and Blood of A Thousand Suns should awaken the beast in any red-blooded thrasher and see them launching themselves around the room in a metal-induced frenzy (in spirit at least, if not in actual body - come on, I'm over sixty now!)

They really should do something about that fucking cover though!

I did toy with giving this a 4/5 rating, but played it safe in the end and went with 3.5./5

Time for another Review Draft for The Pit. This month's pick order will be as follows...

1. Ben

2. Sonny

3. Vinny

The six releases to select from are... (drumroll)...

Wow. I've ended up getting first pick for all four of my drafts this month. I better make the most of it.

I'll go with the Violator EP. I don't think I've ever heard the band before.

Over to you Sonny...

“At War With Satan” is my favourite Venom album just quietly.

Going for a shit cover kind of paid off last montth, so this month I'll go for a band with a ridiculous name and take the Rumpelstiltskin Grinder album.

Your pick, Vinny...

No fucking way am I picking that Savage Steel album, that has "power/heavy/thrash" metal (in that order) written all over it.  I will go with the Japanese band Outrage, heard of them but never anything by them.

EDIT - turns out that Outrage album is not thrash - in fact it is not even metal.  Hall of Judgement submission done (yes, I know, check me out).  Not reviewing it for the Review Draft therefore.  I will pick up Aggressor instead.

Agressor "The Spirit of Evil" (2002)

Agressor are something of a cult entity it seems. Around for nearly forty-years, they have been banging out death/thrash metal for most of their time together. I had previously reviewed their debut album from back in 1990, gracing it with 3.5 stars due to a lack of variety. For this outing the band have done a further 12 years of output and the improvement clearly shows, working well over a shorter format also.

I located the version of this EP that contains three live tracks which are neither here nor there for me but the actual studio content here is rabid as fuck death/thrash metal. Guitarists Alex Colin-Tocquaine and Joss Sarroche are a vicious pairing and the EP even gets adorned with input from legendary death metal guitarist James Murphy on two of the studio tracks.

Overall, this is a more death metal orientated release and it is supercharged with a dark energy throughout. It is not brilliantly produced however and the drums in particular sound tepid in the mix but somehow the sound keeps a fullness to the flow, driven in the main by those superb riffs and luscious leads. Structurally, there is little fault to find here with tracks such as Wandering Soul and God From the Sky being of particular note for the quality of the writing on show.

Review Draft has unearthed a treat this month for me (after the debacle of Outrage of course).

4/5

Rumpelstiltskin Grinder - Buried in the Front Yard... (2005)

Buried in the Front Yard... is the debut album from Philadelphia's Rumpelstiltskin Grinder and it is an album of quite typical 2000's thrash with a death metal flavour. The production has a density and clarity that was never afforded to classic-era thrash metal and is a significant pointer to how metal recording techniques had advanced over the previous couple of decades. Unfortunately, I got very little out of this to be honest. Yes, the riffs have a deathly weight to them, but are decidedly unremarkable for the most part and fail to linger in the memory beyond the final bar of each track. The band's aesthetic seems to be quite humourous with the comic monicker, the cartoonish cover art (which is reminiscent of Acid Witch's cartoon horror covers) and the droll track titles, such as Grab a Shovel (We've Got Bodies to Bury), Stealing E.T. and Ode to Tanks. This would lead you to expect some goofiness in the vein of Municipal Waste or Gama Bomb, but they don't commit to it and the humour doesn't come through much at all. In fact, I would say they sound too intense for humour, coming on more like Pantera than Municipal Waste, especially on the vocals, which sound like an attempt to channel Anselmo or Rob Flynn.
To be honest, I'm not interested enough to say much more about it. It truly isn't an awful album, but it does absolutely zip for me.

2.5/5

Violator - Violent Mosh (2004)

Having ignored most thrash bands that have formed in the past couple of decades, I've lately discovered that there's more quality there than I'd previously assumed. Brazilian band Violator are yet another example of some dudes trying to replicate what their heroes were doing a generation prior, but they do so with admirable energy and an abundance of exciting thrash riffs. If you enjoy Exodus in their prime, then this will almost certainly provide a level of entertainment and comfort. I enjoy the first four tracks enough to rate this a bit higher, but there are some flaws with this EP that cause me drop my score down. First and foremost, the final two tracks were clearly recorded in a different session. I did some digging and discovered that they were actually recorded for a compilation a year prior. The production isn't as good and the songwriting is lacking in comparison to the other tracks on the EP to the point where I think it would have just been better without them. My second flaw is a bit more nitpicky, but Violator's tendency to include silliness at the end of tracks, such as the belch at the end of Thrash Maniacs and the apparent acoustic busker closing off the otherwise excellent The Plague Never Dies. As much as these flaws tarnish the experience for me, I still think Violent Mosh is deserving of 3 stars. I'll definitely check out their first full length at some point.

3 stars

Time for another Review Draft for The Pit. This month's pick order will be as follows...

1. Vinny

2. Ben

3. Sonny

The six releases to select from are... (drumroll)...

Vinny gets first pick this month (again!)...

In for the win on all four clans with first pick and I will use my pick wisely here and go with Sabbat.

Ben, over to you.

I guess I'll finally listen to an Acid Drinkers album.

Over to you Sonny...

You can't go far wrong with Chilean thrash, so I'll take the Parkcrest debut.

Parkcrest - Hallucinative Minds (2017)

Parkcrest's 2020 album, ...And That Blue Will Turn to Red, is one of my favourite modern day thrash albums and is one of the few good enough to stand up to the output of thrash metal's 80's heyday. That classic is the follow-up to this, the Chileans' 2017 debut, Hallucinative Minds. In the three years between the two releases, it is evident what huge strides the band made in both content and execution as the debut is very much an album by a band that still seemed to be developing their identity. This is rawer and more aggressive-sounding than the sophomore, presenting Parkcrest as little more than Slayer wannabes. Songwriting-wise the two are miles apart, the more complex and shifting tones of the latter release's tracks are a huge improvement on the straightforward and somewhat unadventurous efforts here on the debut.

The actual execution is pretty good and it is obvious that these guys knew their way around their instruments at this point. The rhythm section comprises that dual component of busy and powerful drumming coupled with prominent, growling basslines, that are a particular feature of the modern chilean scene and these supply an interesting backdrop over which the rest of the tracks are built. However, the riffs, whilst solid, are derivative and the guitar soloing (in the main) is from the Hanneman / King short, sharp burst school. This does not, of course, make for a poor album, it is actually pretty damn solid and when they do take a few tentative steps towards progressing their sound, as on standout Dark Magicians, they are very good, but this does pale next to it's successor in every way. I woud say that Hallucinative Minds is Parkcrest's Kill 'em All, compared to ...And That Blue Will Turn to Red's Ride the Lightning. I hope their next album is their Master of Puppets then we will all be in for a treat!

3.5/5

Sabbat - History of a Time to Come (1988)

I tell who would be really annoying at parties? Martin Walkyier. His clipped, posh English accent must permeate the room almost organically with its innate ability to fill the air around it without seemingly ever raising the decibels behind it. For most of History of a Time to Come it is Martin's vocals that dominate the aether, despite the raging riffs of Andy Sneap doing their upmost to unseat Walkyier from this lead role on the album. However, just like that person at parties who commands the attention of the room, Sneap's guitar work comes off as nothing more than a distraction when it is allowed some floor space.

This sounds harsher than I mean it to as I actually think that part of the major success of this album (and indeed the band) is down to that unique vocal style that is so recognisable. Although not quite the same, a fair comparison would be Judas Priest. Tipton and Downing for the most part battle to let their guitars do some talking but in reality they will never be considered ahead of Rob Halford's vocals. I actually prefer the guitar work on most Priest records as, if you listen closely enough, they more than stack up against the vocals of Halford. Here, within the ranks of Sabbat, Sneap simply does not stand a chance though. No matter how intently I listen, Walkyier is the main memory I take away with me after each spin.

That having been said, I cannot deny the energy behind this record and its infectious display of some raging thrash metal. History of a Time to Come is a "banger" most certainly. It is lauded in many quarters and I can most certainly see why, even though I cannot match these levels of enthusiasm for the entire duration. Touching upon NWOBHM and traditional metal influences there is most certainly variety present here, however I am not entirely sure I want there to be. The raging intensity of their thrash metal is where Sabbat thrive and I feel the loss of focus on this aspect of their sound is sometimes to the detriment of my enjoyment. Still, for an album that is 35 years old, it sounds as fresh as the day it was released and most certainly has aged well. 

3.5/5

Acid Drinkers - Verses of Steel (2008)

With 17 full length albums, Polish band Acid Drinkers are an outfit I've considered checking out many times. The main thing that's turned me off over the years is the way their album covers suggest the band are just having a laugh. I had noticed that their 2008 album Verses of Steel is relatively well received though, so when it appeared as an option in this month's Review Draft for The Pit, I figured it was time to take the plunge? Do I regret that decision? Well, at least now I know that my natural aversion was correct all along. Before I go any further, I'm surprised this only has a thrash metal primary on RYM (and therefore here). There's a fair bit of groove metal on this album, as well as a hint of crossover thrash from time to time. Regardless of where it fits on the metal tree, Verses of Steel has a surprising lack of emphasis on riffs. There are plenty to experience if you choose to focus on them, but they're rarely powerful or effective, and I find the vocals draw my attention away from them more often than not. That could have something to do with the vocalist's spasmodic approach, and I have to say that I don't enjoy them for the most part. Like the band's artwork so often does, the band seems to be going for an entertaining and somewhat comedic approach, which just rubs me up the wrong way. I'll take vicious and brutal over humurous and playful anyday (unless it's Mike Patton).

In the end I've given Verses of Steel plenty of time to connect with me. It's not terrible, and I found myself enjoying parts of it quite a bit when I wasn't being so critical. I'm not surprised that they have a reasonable sized fanbase, but this isn't what I want from my thrash metal. If you want to check it out, second track In a Black Sail Wrapped is easily the highlight. Don't expect the rest of the album to be at that standard though.

3 stars