What are you listening to now? : The Pit Edition
Blackrat - Dread Reverance (2018)
Crusty, blackened speed/thrash metal from Canada. Fell onto my radar last year but couldn't remember why I rated them so much. Listening through again lots of early Sodom style tracks with the "no fucks given" attitude of Midnight. Thumping drums and barking riffs right here folks.
3.5 / 5
Lååz Rockit - "Know Your Enemy" (1987)
The third album from these Californian thrashers is generally regarded as their first genuine thrash record after their first two efforts owed just as much to traditional heavy metal but I have to say that I still hear a little more Queensryche-style heavy metal than thrash on this one. That's not necessarily a bad thing mind you as there's some excellent musicianship & some good thrashy riffage on offer. Unfortunately "Know Your Enemy" suffers from some dodgy song-writing though with a few tracks having subpar choruses that don't flow with the rest of the songs. They've also included a silly joke song at the end which is always a bad decision as far as I'm concerned. These flaws are a bit of a shame as there's enough quality on offer to see this release pushing for a higher score than has been achieved. In saying that though, I'd suggest that this was still Lååz Rockit's best work to the time. For fans of Metal Church, Queensryche & Overkill.
3.5/5
Turbo - "Ostatni wojownik" (1987)
Raw & sophisticated Polish thrash metal with speed metal influences & an over the top raspy European vocal delivery for fans of KAT, Destruction & Coroner. In fact, this was the earliest Polish thrash release that I'm aware of & it makes an extremely good fist of it too. It has a clear Teutonic edge to it whilst also maintaining the classy execution of the US thrash sound. Turbo started as a more than decent hard rock band & I quite enjoyed their 1983 debut album "Dorosle dzieci" but this is not only a completely different kettle of fish but also a clear step up from that record.
4/5
Mortal Sin - "Mayhemic Destruction" (1987)
I can personally attest to the fact that if you were an Aussie thrash fan in the late 80's & early 90's then Mortal Sin were likely a pretty fucking big deal for you. They were the support band for pretty much every international act that toured, they'd pack out the local metal clubs whenever they headlined & they were the inspiration for an entire generation of Aussie metal bands who grew up idolizing them, so it should be no surprise that I held them up on a pedestal as a young fella too. Their debut album "Mayhemic Destruction" represented the birth place of Australia thrash metal & is universally revered amongst those of us Sydney-based metalheads who were old enough to have been around to hear it within a few years of its release. Personally, I've always found it to be a fun listen that brings back a lot of fond memories but I'm also realistic about what it brings to the table from a musical point of view because Mortal Sin's brand of meat & potatoes thrash metal already sounded a little dated at the time of release. "Mayhemic Destruction" was very much a tribute to Metallica's "Kill 'Em All" with many of the tracks being obvious takes on popular early thrash anthems like "Seek & Destroy" & "Phantom Lord" while Mat Maurer's vocal delivery is clearly trying to fill the exact same niche as James Hetfield did on those early releases too. But despite the lack of originality, the thing that gives Mortal Sin its appeal is the undeniable catchiness of the song-writing. Sure there are a couple of flat speed metal tracks included toward the middle of the tracklisting but otherwise I find that these simple metal tunes overachieve on their fairly basic packaging. Plus the closing title track is nothing like the rest of the material in that it's much more intense & extreme with Slayer, Kreator & "Bonded By Blood"-era Exodus playing off against each other under what can only be described as a proto-death metal vocal delivery. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this was the first genuinely classic Australian extreme metal anthem. At least it was for me. Overall, "Mayhemic Destruction" is a pretty good underground thrash record that was more influential & important than it was essential but is definitely worth a few listens if you like a bit of NWOBHM influence in your thrash.
3.5/5
Whiplash - "Ticket To Mayhem" (1987)
The sophomore album from this New Jersey based trio offers a nice combination of thrash metal, speed metal & traditional heavy metal with thrash being the more prominent of the three. I really enjoy Tony Portaro's bad-ass raspy vocal delivery & the raw underground edge they've incorporated into their sound. In fact, I actually rate "Ticket To Mayhem" slightly more highly than Whiplash's more highly celebrated 1986 debut album "Power & Pain" & fans of Razor, Destruction & Venom should find some enjoyment here.
3.5/5
Necrodeath - "Into The Macabre" (1987)
An under-appreciated gem from my tape trading days. "Into The Macabre" is the debut album from Italian thrash metal outfit Necrodeath & it sees them combining the raw & intense thrash metal of early Kreator & Sodom with the primitive & under-produced brutality of Sarcofago & Vulcano then throwing in a bit of exciting mid-80's Slayer for good measure. Sure it's not the most accomplished of releases but it possesses that underground proto-death metal atmosphere in spades & is particularly vicious & evil for the time. I really dig it.
4/5
P.S. How funny is their band name!? When is death ever NOT necro?
Morbid Saint - "Spectrum Of Death" (1990)
When I first wrapped my ears around this release many years ago I was absolutely floored. It ripped my face off & stuffed it up my arse in no uncertain terms & I immediately reached for my full marks card. But time has seen me reassess that position a little bit. The production is a bit lacking as this was only ever intended to be a demo tape. Also, there's a lot of Kreator, Slayer & "Darkness Descends"-era Dark Angel worship going on & some of the song-writing is a little disjointed & lacks cohesion. Regardless, there can be no denying the sheer unbridled aggression that this Wisconsin thrash metal outfit possessed. They left the shackles behind in no uncertain terms & simply went for broke at all times with this furious debut release. Fans of classic 80's Kreator, classic Slayer & "Darkness Descends"-era Dark Angel should be all over this.
4/5
Nasty Savage - "Indulgence" (1987)
Florida-based thrash metal with heavy/progressive metal influences. For fans of Hallows Eve, Destructor & Mercyful Fate.
3/5
Sacred Reich - "Ignorance" (1987)
The debut album from this meat-&-potatoes thrash metal outfit from Phoenix, Arizona. It's much rawer & more intense than their later efforts but lacks the hooks & polish that separated Sacred Reich's follow-up "The American Way" from the pack. Fans of Exodus, Vio-lence & Nuclear Assault should lap this up though as it offers some very solid US thrash with no real weak moments.
4/5
I started listening to Onslaught's new album, Generation Antichrist, yesterday, and so far I'm feeling distressingly underwhelmed by it.
I love Onslaught: The Force is an underknown 80s gem, Killing Peace was one of the albums that got me into the whole thrash revival of the mid-late 2000s, and 2013's VI quickly became one of my absolute favourites of that year, or thrash of the last decade period. I couldn't stop listening to the new song "A Perfect Day to Die" when it was released. I was pumped.
Then the news came out that Sy Keeler had left the band, and that was certainly a blow, as I feel he's an outstanding thrash vocalist. Still, he certainly wasn't the only thing I'd liked about them before, so I determined to wait and see.
Then the whole album hits and it's just...not there. Missing Keeler's vocals is a part of it, sure, he was fantastic, but credit where it's due, new singer David Garnett has some good variety in his delivery, and can't be accused of simply trying to copy his predecessor. I don't want to sound like I'm just shitting on him, even if I prefer Keeler.
No, I think my problems go beyond that. For one thing, the mix feels lacking, it sounds somewhat muted and muffled. I listened to a bit of Generation Antichrist, then VI, and the contrast in sound quality is noticeable. There's a huge energy and ferocity in VI that just isn't there now. The same applies if I listen to the original version of "Perfect Day" back-to-back with the new one. A certain feeling of bite and weight is missing.
Though that might also be due to a shift in style as much as production. It feels like Onslaught are straying towards more of a groove or even metalcore-influenced sound, as we heard a bit of in Sounds of Violence. I'm not suggesting they've suddenly turned into a completely different band or anything, it's still thrash metal overall, but I definitely hear elements more akin to Lamb of God or recent Prong albums in the mixture.
Celtic Frost - "Into The Pandemonium" (1987)
A genuinely ambitious & interesting departure from the standard European thrash metal model that saw Tom G. Warrior & co. experimenting with a number of musically disparate genres (such as gothic rock, new wave, synth pop, industrial, etc.) to great artistic effect. It may be the point that some old-school thrashers got off the boat but I've always found it to be a consistently intriguing & engaging listen, despite not being quite as rewarding as most of Frost's earlier work.
4/5
No Mercy - "Widespread Bloodshed/Love Runs Red" (1987)
This is essentially a Suicidal Tendencies side project that focuses more on a traditional thrash metal sound than a crossover one. It seems to be quite highly regarded but I can't justify those sort of opinions as the weak & noisy production & Mike Muir's terrible vocal performance are very hard to see past. Some of this material was re-recorded by Suicidal Tendencies following the separation of No Mercy so perhaps that's where the love stems from. I'm not a fan of Suicidal Tendencies' "Join The Army" album from the same year either but I'd probably take it over this one. For fans of Suicidal Tendencies, Nuclear Assault & Slayer.
3/5
Dream Death - "Journey Into Mystery" (1987)
The debut album from this Pennsylvania-based thrash metal outfit who sound very much like what Celtic Frost would have sounded like if Tom Araya was their front man. There's a really strong doom element to their sound. In fact, I much prefer the doomier parts over the more up-tempo material to be honest. Also, I have to admit that I spent most of this revisit thinking just how much this record would be up Sonny's alley so I wasn't surprised in the slightest to see that he's rated this a 4.5/5 just now. Saves me from recommending it to him. For fans of Celtic Frost, Hellhammer & Obituary.
3.5/5
Too right! One of my favourite albums of the 80s.
Toxik - "World Circus" (1987)
The debut album from these New York thrash metalllers who offer a noticeably technical edge to their delivery. The vocals are performed in an operatic Geoff Tate-like US power metal style but Josh Christian's virtuosic lead guitar performance is shredding as fuck & never lets you forget the band's thrash credentials. For fans of Heathen, Artillery & Forbidden.
4/5
Artillery - "Terror Squad" (1987)
Most people rate 1990's "By Inheritance" album as the finest work from Danish thrash metallers Artillery however I have to disagree with that sentiment. I've always preferred their sophomore record "Terror Squad" which may not be as polished or melodic but more than compensates for it in raw aggression & urgency. There's a bit of a technical edge to some of the rhythms here however the band never fall into the trap of becoming overly clinical. I know Ben isn't a huge fan of the vocals but I actually think they're one of the best things about this release along with the incisive thrash riffage & high-energy double-time drumming. I highly recommend this album to fans of Exodus, Overkill & early Testament.
4/5
Revocation - The Outer Ones (2018)
A less vivid and technical version of Vektor that really relies on some top-notch lead work to carry it along with some memorable progressive sturctures also. First listen only rating 3/5 but definitely going to spend more time with it.
Artillery - "Terror Squad" (1987)
Most people rate 1990's "By Inheritance" album as the finest work from Danish thrash metallers Artillery however I have to disagree with that sentiment. I've always preferred their sophomore record "Terror Squad" which may not be as polished or melodic but more than compensates for it in raw aggression & urgency. There's a bit of a technical edge to some of the rhythms here however the band never fall into the trap of becoming overly clinical. I know Ben isn't a huge fan of the vocals but I actually think they're one of the best things about this release along with the incisive thrash riffage & high-energy double-time drumming. I highly recommend this album to fans of Exodus, Overkill & early Testament.
4/5
Yep, I am with Ben about the vocals but also agree with you about the rawness aspect. Thanks for the rec.
Demolition Hammer - "Epidemic Of Violence" (1992)
The 1992 sophomore effort from New York brutal thrash outfit Demolition Hammer highlights a band that are both well on top of their sound & also seem to be incredibly well tuned to my particular taste. I mean you won't find too many releases that are more directly targeted at my sweet spots from a purely stylistic & theoretical point of view than this one but that doesn't necessarily amount to a successful undertaking in practice. Thankfully Demolition Hammer are a class act who know exactly what strings to pull to get the most out of a riff & there are a multitude of them here. In fact, "Epidemic Of Violence" is a long succession of total riff bombs with little restraint offered or time wasted. Powerful drummer Vinny Daze is the perfect foil for the dual guitar attack as his timing is impeccable & his often restrained approach leaves exactly the right amount of room for the thick & chunky riff assault. Vocalist Steve Reynolds possesses a gnarly snarl that I'd imagine would tear paint of the walls in a live environment & when you combine his aggression with some super-tight rhythm guitar performances you get one hell of a ride for fans of the more intense end of the thrash spectrum. Interestingly, I often see this album linked with death metal but that link has never seemed relevant to me personally. This is simply a very heavy & intense thrash record that will undoubtedly please fans of Morbid Saint, Dark Angel & Kreator.
4.5/5
Holy Terror - "Terror & Submission" (1987)
LA speed metal with thrash & heavy metal influences. For fans of Agent Steel, Hallows Eve & early Living Death.
3.5/5
Sacrifice - "Forward To Termination" (1987)
Canadian thrashers Sacrifice returned in a big way with their 1987 sophomore album "Forward To Termination". I'm a big fan of their 1985 debut "Torment In Fire" which was essentially nothing more than classic Slayer worship but here we find a more well-defined & sophisticated offering that includes significantly stronger highlights. The gnarly vocals of axe-slinging front man Rob Urbinati are definitely the coolest part of Sacrifice's sound however there are also plenty of great thrash riffs on offer. Sacrifice don't tend to be overly clinical in their execution however they're clearly at their strongest when they drop the shackles & really going for broke as some of the more mid-paced & chuggy sections can sound a little generic. There are no weak tracks on offer though & fans of Slayer, Dark Angel & late 80's Kreator should find plenty of value here.
4/5
Infernäl Mäjesty - "None Shall Defy" (1987)
The 1987 debut album from Canadian thrash metal outfit Infernäl Mäjesty is an aggressive riff-fest with a dark atmosphere & an impressive level of class in the song-writing & arrangements. Slayer has obviously been a major influence on the band which can't hurt however they offer enough of their own to differentiate themselves from their idols. The guitar solos aren't amazing & the drum production is a little stale however there's a nice level of separation between the instruments. Some of the riff structures hint at what would become death metal & I can't help but shake the thought that Morbid Angel's Trey Azagthoth might have been quite the fan because I can hear some similar ideas here. Overall, this is a very consistent & high quality thrash record that will appeal to fans of Slayer, Razor & Sacrifice.
4/5
Always been a fan of this album. Solid, aggressive Slayer worship.
Slaughter - "Strappado" (1987)
The 1987 debut album from Canadian thrash metallers Slaughter offers a fresh sound that sits right in the sweet spot between the filthy & depressive extreme metal of Hellhammer & Celtic Frost & the faster US thrash of D.R.I. & Slayer. The guitar tone is very close to the model that death metal would adopt over the next 4 or 5 years (particularly the classic Swedish sound) & I'd imagine that "Strappado" might have been a significant influence there. The vocals tend to be a little inconsistent & some of the riffs are a bit generic but this record is all about atmosphere & it succeeds comfortably in replicating that timeless Tom G. Warrior style darkness. Hell, we even get the occasional "Urgh!" thrown in for good measure. I do slightly prefer Slaughter's more obviously Slayer-influenced 1985 crossover thrash demo "Surrender Or Die" over this one but there's not a lot in it & "Strappado" is just as fine an example of your more underground 80's thrash metal in my opinion.
4/5