Make a recommendation to a fellow member of The Pit
Ben, have you ever checked this one out? I think you'll dig it.
Vinny, this one should appeal to you if you're not already familiar with it.
Sonny, this is an absolute no-brainer for you.
Will get on it tomorrow...
Sonny, this is an absolute no-brainer for you.
Fantastic.. it inhabits that dark, foetid zone between thrash and death metal that I love. Energetic and invigorating. Thanks for the rec.
I notice you haven't rated this one Sonny. It's a fucking strong release that more than holds its own with the big boys at the more extreme end of thrash.
To be honest, Daniel, my experience with Sepultura begins with Beneath the Remains and ends with Chaos A.D., both of which are firm favourites. I've never really considered their earlier releases, but I will check it out sometime this week.
I agree with Daniel on this one. A very solid release that was actually pretty exciting at the time!
I notice you haven't rated this one Sonny. It's a fucking strong release that more than holds its own with the big boys at the more extreme end of thrash.
Thanks once more Daniel for a quality rec. I think I've found my new favourite Sepultura album and I feel you have repaid me for causing me to listen to that fucking terrible Tainted Love cover!!
Andi, if you haven't checked this one out then I'd suggest you do.
Thanks to Killing Technology, I've realized the progressive thrash perfection of this Voivod album and the next two. I think that album would fit well as December's Featured Release for The Pit, though you might not agree, Daniel. Anyway, cheers for the rec! 5/5
I also have a special plan for how I would confirm my newly-growing interest in Voivod. More info about that in this list description: https://metal.academy/lists/single/78
I've just added my "Top Ten Thrash Metal Releases of 1987" list to the Public Lists section if anyone's interested:
https://metal.academy/lists/single/95
01. Anthrax - "Among The Living"
02. Metallica - "The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-revisited" E.P.
03. Exumer - "Rising From The Sea"
04. Sepultura - "Schizophrenia"
05. Sodom - "Persecution Mania"
06. Sacrifice - "Forward To Termination"
07. Destruction - "Release From Agony"
08. Sacred Reich - "Ignorance"
09. Testament - "The Legacy"
10. Infernäl Mäjesty - "None Shall Defy"
Sonny, Vinny & Ben, I'd strongly recommend that you all jump onto this undiscovered gem from 1988. You can expect some vicious US thrash ala Dark Angel, Vio-lence & Slayer.
Daniel, I noticed you haven't rated this yet.
It’s actually an old favourite of mine from my tape trading days Sonny. This serves as a welcome reminder that I’ve never gotten around to rating it though so I’ll stick it into my playlist for the next few weeks.
Daniel, I noticed you haven't rated this yet.
Well that took me back to a much simpler time in my life & I found that I still really dig Merciless' aggressive brand of Swedish death/thrash. "The Awakening" kinda sounds like the more brutal Kreator, Protector & Dark Angel material with some unusually vicious vocals elevating it above your average thrasher into more deathly territory. There's a little bit of early Morbid Angel about the style of the riffs too which can't be a bad thing but I think this album could have done with some shredding solos to take it to the next level. Very solid stuff indeed though so thanks to Sonny for reminding me that I needed to give it a revisit.
4/5
P.S. Ben, you should check this out if you haven't already.
Steel Bearing Hand - Slay In Hell
Paging Daniel and Vinny.
Steel Bearing Hand - Slay In Hell
Paging Daniel and Vinny.
Thanks, will check out.
Steel Bearing Hand - Slay In Hell
Paging Daniel and Vinny.
Thanks a lot for the heads up on this one Xephyr. I hadn't heard of Dallas-based thrashers Steel Bearing Hand before but really fucking enjoyed this album. It's kinda hard to describe Steel Bearing Hand's sound as they combine so many different elements but not often at the one time. Instead, they tend to drop bits & pieces of widely disparate influences on the listener without ever really attempting to tie them all together but, in doing so, show themselves to have such a good understanding of the individual elements that you find yourself easily forgiving them. Three of the six tracks sit fairly comfortably under the blackened thrash tag as they layer black metal vocals over a speed metal-infused thrash sound similar to Destruction. "Lich Gate" on the other hand seems to sit somewhere between the death 'n' roll of Entombed, the more brutal Swedish death metal of Grave & the death/thrash sound of Deceased.... But it's the two lengthier closers of both sides that really do it for me as they both beautifully straddle a crushingly heavy death/doom metal sound that brings to mind the slower works of Asphyx & Dead Congregation. Hell, you'll even hear parts of this album that sound very much like "Blood Fire Death" era Bathory or classic Cannibal Corpse so there's a lot to take in across the relatively short 39 minute duration. The production perfectly balances clarity with a rawer underground authenticity & the performances are all excellent so there's a lot to like here, despite the apparent lack of focus. There's been no sacrifice on melody in the quest for intensity either. "Slay In Hell" is a metal-as-fuck excursion through all the things that make extreme metal so great & I'm very surprised Steel Bearing Hand haven't received more attention as this is unquestionably the best 2020's thrash metal release I've heard to date.
For fans of Deceased..., Destruction & Asphyx.
4/5
P.S. Sonny, you'll want to check this one out too.
"I'm very surprised Steel Bearing Hand haven't received more attention as this is unquestionably the best 2020's thrash metal release I've heard to date" is dead right indeed. In fact, I didn't register at first that it was a new release at all. I was convinced it was early 90's through and through. Thrash, death, black metal and best of all filthy-sounding Autopsy-style death doom. At 26 minutes it's a short, sharp shock like a dagger between the ribs that packs as big a punch as Mike Tyson on Angel Dust!
I am the only one who struggled with this it seems. I just found too much to be going on at one time and wasn’t a big fan of the production (notwithstanding it is supposed to be low values). Might revisit one day but not feeling it right now.
This has no ratings on the site yet, but Daniel & Vinny I think you both may find something to enjoy in this obscure gem of UK thrash from 1988:
Gave "Rather Death Than False Of Faith" a few spins yesterday Sonny. I was initially put off by the awful production & sloppy performances (particularly the incompetent solos) however repeat listens saw me buying into the brash & overthetop brand of European style thrash that Hydra Vein are pushing. There's plenty of Slayer, Anihilated & Kreator on offer as well as the occasion foray with the Bay Area ala Exodus/Testament. I didn't mind it in the end although I don't think it was helped by the fact that a couple of the weaker songs reside in the opening three as I certainly found my enjoyment levels growing as the tracklisting progressed. I'll go with a respectable 3.5/5.