What are you listening to now? : The Pit Edition
Anthrax - "Among The Living" (1987)
The third full-length from New York thrash metal institution Anthrax was an absolutely HUUUGGGE record in my childhood. I got into the band through their underrated 1988 record "State Of Euphoria" in late '88/early '89 before meeting a new mate that had an older cousin that was obsessed with the band. I proceeded to investigate their entire back catalogue very quickly & was floored by both "Among The Living", its predecessor "Spreading The Disease" & the horribly overlooked "Armed & Dangerous" E.P. in particular. In truth "Spreading The Disease" will likely always remain my favourite Anthrax release however "Among The Living" is awfully close behind. It saw the band utilizing a heavier dose of hardcore punk & it resulted in an infectious energy that permeates every part of an exceptionally consistent tracklisting. The use of gang vocals is possibly the best example you'll find in all of metal &, even though this in not something that I usually go for, I can't help but admit that I shout along with every word as a united front with the band members here. Although there are tight-as-hell thrash riffs for days through the undeniable Scott Ian, Joey Belladonna & Charlie Benante are the key components on "Among the Living" as Joey manages to gives every track the sort of hooks that leave an indelible mark on your brain for life & Charlie's confident & powerful performance behind the kit is what drives this music to heights that similar US thrash outfits simply weren't capable of at the time. Interestingly (& quite tellingly), my favourite tracks aren't the big name classics like "Caught In A Mosh" & "Indians". It's the more thrashy & violent numbers like "A Skeleton In The Closet" & "Imitation Of Life" that float my boat with the most buoyancy & that's the strength of this album really as literally every track is essential listening for all fans of 80's thrash.
4.5/5
Overkill - "Taking Over" (1987)
The 1987 sophomore album from New Jersey thrash metal establishment Overkill represents my entry point for the band way back around 1989 when I was in my early teenage years & completely obsessed with extreme metal (kinda similar to now really). I have to admit that, whilst I've always found it to be relatively enjoyable, it's never really convinced me that the band were a tier one act & my feelings haven't changed in that respect. "Taking Over" certainly featured some improvements on their 1985 debut album "Feel The Fire" with more appealing production, performances & song-writing but some of the riffs & arrangements still seem so basic & generic that it sounded a little dated even back then in my opinion. It's not a total thrash-fest either as almost half of the album falls into speed metal or traditional heavy metal territory.
I think the reason that "Taking Over" has remained so popular over the years is due to the tight execution & its uncluttered accessibility. It's like the band understood their limitations a bit better than they did previously & worked within them to create an appealing & marketable product. The other reason is likely the melodic vocal approach of front man Bobby Blitz who hadn't opted for the grindier approach he'd take on later material just yet & contributes some much needed pizzazz to some otherwise fairly uneventful pieces of music. There's definitely a little bit of Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson about his performance here & if you listen closely you can hear that he was giving everything he had as far as charisma & effort go. It's certainly paid off as there's only really "Fatal If Swallowed" that fails to leave the desired impact as far as hooks go. In saying that, Bobby's performance still wasn't enough to make any of this material a genuine thrash classic in my opinion so I don't think I can justify the high regard that "Taking Over" is generally held in amongst thrash purists.
3.5/5
Voivod - "Killing Technology" (1987)
The third album from unusual Canadian thrash metallers Voivod is a significant release in their back catalogue in that it sees the band taking huge strides towards a much more ambitious & progressive sound. Voivod's first two albums certainly hinted at a prog rock influence but were predominantly driven by a blend of Venom/Motorhead & hardcore punk worship whereas "Killing Technology" categorically leaps straight off the platform into a progressive wilderness previously traversed by Syd Barret era Pink Floyd whilst never losing the fast-paced energy of the band's early works. For that reason, it very much represents the mid-point in Voivod's creative transition into a fully-fledged progressive outfit but is this really a thrash metal release? Well, in a word... no it isn't. There's undeniably more thrash here than on any of Voivod's other classic period releases (particularly in the drumming which seems to have taken influence from the likes of Slayer's Dave Lombardo) but thrash is still just one of many tools at the band's disposal & there's probably even more punk included in all honesty (see the urgent tempos, quirky vocals & open-string guitar work). To my ears the primary focus is always on making progressive music like none that we'd heard before or since & for that reason I've always struggled with Voivod's links to thrash. Still... "Killing Technology" is another genuinely fascinating musical excursion from one of metal's most unique entities. I think Voivod's best work would come the following year with their classic "Dimension Hatröss" album where they would take their new sound even further but "Killing Technology" isn't far behind in second place in my opinion & should be essential listening for fans of metal music that takes genuine risks & challenges the listener.
For fans of Vektor, Coroner & Watchtower.
4/5
Rampage - "Veil Of Mourn" (1988)
1988's "Veil of Mourn" represents the only proper release from relatively unknown Melbourne-based thrash trio Rampage. It's a self-financed & self-produced affair & it really shows with the sound quality being reminiscent of Venom's early records. The drums are absolutely booming with the rhythm guitars being soft & muddy & the bass guitar being clearly audible. Instrumentally, this is a very interesting record. It's got a very European feel to it with an inherent darkness about the atmosphere that reminds my of artists like Mercyful Fate & Celtic Frost but there's also been a conscious attempt to challenge the listener with some progressive elements at play. "Show No Mercy" era Slayer comes to mind quite often during the faster material however this is not a pure form of thrash metal. There's enough speed metal & traditional heavy metal on display to keep me questioning my position on that but the atmosphere eventually gets me over the line. It's almost like this record should have been released a few years earlier than it was. Unfortunately there are three major obstacles that commit "Veil Of Mourn" to rot away in the second-hand bins. The production issues I spoke of earlier are the first but the guitar solos & vocals leave a lot to be desired as well, particularly the drastically out-of-key higher register screams of front man George Mitrov. Mitrov would find God shortly after this release which would spell the end for Rampage however bassist Dave Frew & drummer Bruno Canziani would both go on to brighter things with several stints in Hobbs Angel Of Death each. Give this one a miss.
3/5
Massive Appendage - "The Severed Erection" (1986)
Very early Sydney thrash metal with an ordinary production job partially tainting some otherwise pretty fun & energetic song-writing. For fans of Testament, Overkill & Judas Priest.
3.5/5
Hallows Eve - "Monument" (1988)
Atlanta-based thrash metal outfit Hallows Eve didn't exactly set my world on fire with their 1985 debut album "Tales Of Terror" but their sophomore effort "Death & Insanity" from the following year definitely tweaked my interest with its thrashier approach offering me much more appeal than their earlier speed metal sound. Both records are highly regarded in underground circles but 1988's third album "Monument" is often referred to as a step down from those two & I think that's an unfair assessment. "Monument" is a well produced & executed thrash metal album with a strong emphasis on song-writing but there's been a significant level of restraint shown in regards to tempo. The band go for more of a chuggy, mid-paced velocity more often than not & I actually feel that this is the reason for a lot of the album's criticisms from the thrash crowd. There's little doubt that the couple of faster tracks give me the most pleasure but I actually don't mind the more controlled & precise execution on display here either. The vocal hooks & guitar solos are very effective over the simpler riffage & the clear production only gives these songs the additional oomph required to dig their teeth in. Sadly, the album does peter out noticeably over the last few tracks which undoes some of the good work done earlier in the tracklisting but it's not enough to ruin a pretty decent late 80's thrash release. In fact, I'd suggest that "Monument" doesn't sit all that far behind "Death & Insanity" in terms of overall quality while comfortably eclipsing "Tales Of Terror".
For fans of Anthrax, Lååz Rockit & Sacred Reich.
3.5/5
Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss (1990)
A recent CD (re) purchase - I sold my original copy back in the 90s - and boy does this take me back to happy times. Hands down my go to Slayer record even though I acknowledge South of Heaven and Reign in Blood to be superior, but what the 1990 release offers is the urgent and yet dogged pace coupled with some atmospheric gems like Dead Skin Mask and the title track. Slight lull towards the end but still a great record.
4.5/5
Yeah, it's a fantastic album that made a major impact on my life at the time. In fact, I'd suggest that it was my most listened to album that year, despite the fact that (like yourself) I rate the previous two albums slightly higher. 4.5/5
Viking - "Do Or Die" (1988)
The debut album from Los Angeles thrash metallers Viking (entitled "Do Or Die") is an uncompromising & relentless high-velocity thrash-fest that will more than satisfy fans of Dark Angel, Vio-lence & Slayer. In fact, guitarist Brett Eriksen would go on to join Dark Angel the following year & would contribute to 1991's brilliant "Time Does Not Heal" record. You can definitely hear that in the style of the riffs here too with the band never taking their foot off the accelerator for the entire 33 minute duration. I honestly can't imagine why "Do Or Die" isn't held in much higher regard by the global thrash community. Perhaps the messy production job is to blame but I can easily look past it when the thrash offers these sort of credentials. Ron Daniel does a fantastic job behind the microphone too & really accentuates the sense of urgency that Viking were going for here. "Do Or Die" is an undiscovered gem in my opinion.
4/5
Mutilator - "Into The Strange" (1988)
I quite enjoy this Brazilian outfit's 1987 debut album "Immortal Force" which offers some very raw & intense thrash metal in the vein of Slayer, "Darkness Descends"-era Dark Angel & 1980's Sepultura however a number of lineup changes saw them returning with an entirely different sound for their sophomore effort the following year. This time their approach is much more in line with the US model of thrash with more technicality & significantly less of the raucous intensity I enjoyed about the debut. Despite still being a little on the raw side, the lead guitar work has improved noticeably following the recruit of new axe man C.M. & is the highlight of the album. The production is simply awful though & doesn't ever get above demo quality with a fair amount of inconsistency between the tone & volume of the individual tracks. I actually quite like about half of the tracks here & they tend to be the ones with a better sound which tells me that there was untapped potential in this record. There's a flatness to the rest that's accentuated by the generic nature of the song-writing which comes very close to plagiarizing Testament a lot of the time. These guys definitely know how to thrash but they've failed in the execution.
For fans of Defiance, 80's Metallica & the first couple of Testament records.
3/5
I’m always a bit torn over which the go-to Metal Church album is for. Any of the first 3 could do it. I do really enjoy David Wayne’s performance here, and the mix of material.
Sadus - Swallowed in Black (1990)
Hands down one of the best albums of 1990. Scathing vocals and that fucking bass man! Hell yeah.
4.5/5
Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)
Got my dad to build me some add-ons to my hi-fi unit and so now I can play my vinyls without having to reach over a unit at the front that used to hold the cd player. To celebrate I am hitting up this classic.
5/5
Demiser - Through the Gate Eternal 2021
Blackened thrash for Saturday lunchtime. Fans of Sodom, Butcher and Destroyer 666 should dig this.
Sodom - Agent Orange 1989
Time for a review of this methinks.
Razor - "Violent Restitution" (1988)
Razor's fifth & last 1980's album is also their finest work. I have time for all four of their previous records (Note: I don't like 1984's speed metal-driven "Armed & Dangerous" E.P. much) but none of them ever saw them managing to breach the also-ran category for me personally. This all changed when the Canadian thrash icons returned with this release which saw them upping the ante significantly as far as energy & production goes. All fourteen tracks are relentless in their velocity & aggression with nothing coming close to resembling a mid-tempo chugger. There's a significant hardcore punk influence to a lot of this stuff & even though Razor had fully embraced the thrash metal genre by this stage it's never too hard to identify their speed metal roots if you look hard enough (see the Venom inspired "Discipline" for example). The consistency of the song-writing is excellent with no weak tracks on offer & I really enjoy the snarly vocals. This is a high quality thrashfest that should be essential listening for all members of The Pit.
For fans of Slayer, Sacrifice & Exodus.
4/5
Demolition Hammer - "Tortured Existence" (1990)
The debut album from New York thrash metallers Demolition Hammer is very highly regarded in the underground scene & for good reason. This four-piece from The Bronx take no prisoners whatsoever in their no-holds-barred approach to pummeling their audience into submission. This is certainly thrash metal in its purest & most intense form with bassist Steve Reynolds' vocal delivery being full of spite & vitriol & sounding closer to hardcore punk than your traditional thrash front man. There are certainly plenty of great riffs on offer here but there's not the consistency of the band's classic sophomore release from two years later "Epidemic Of Violence" which is a definite step up from "Tortured Existence" & I think that sums up my feelings on this record pretty well. It's a very strong first up effort but it's not quite the finished product. Also, the production lets it down a bit too with the brutal rhythm guitars being a bit muffled & often overpowered by a bass guitar that's a touch too high in the mix. The lead guitar work slays though & is the definite highlight of a very enjoyable thrash outing for me. I have to say though, I don't hear the death metal influence that people like to throw at this record. The guitar tone is about the only link that I can see because this is pure thrash in my opinion & there's nothing wrong with that. Horrible cover artwork though!
For fans of Morbid Saint, Dark Angel & early Sadus.
4/5
Interesting review, Daniel! I feel like getting my thrash game back on with that album...
Morbid Saint - "Destruction System" (2015)
This archival release was originally recorded as the preliminary demos for Wisconsin-based thrash metallers Morbid Saint's follow-up to their classic 1990 debut album "Spectrum Of Death" but the final product never ended up seeing the light of day so these recordings lay dormant for more than two decades before finally becoming available in 2015. I actually don't think that's such a bad thing because, even though it's an enjoyable enough listen, "Destruction System" doesn't come close to the quality of Morbid Saint's legendary first-up effort. It's very much a meat-&-potatoes thrash record that doesn't possess the sheer violence & aggression of "Spectrum Of Death". It's heavily weighted towards the A side with a couple of pretty flat inclusions on the B side while the production job is unsurprisingly pretty awful with the guitars being far too low in the mix & the drums totally dominating. Still... I can't deny the appeal in this band. Pat Lind's brutal vocals are still a welcome novelty & there's a four track run on the A side that I really dig. The best moments tend to match up with the more up-tempo material (particularly the Slayer style solos) while the less appealing stuff is a lot more chuggy & mid-tempo than I remember from Morbid Saint in their prime with tracks like "Halls of Terror" & "Living Misery" sounding more like middle-of-the-road Testament or Exodus than they do the more brutal end of thrash. Overall, "Destruction System" is deserving of a cursory listen for fans of Morbid Saint's classic debut but will remain inessential as it's lacking in replay value.
For fans of Demolition Hammer, Kreator & early Sadus.
3.5/5
1987's third album from Geordies Warfare is a bit all over the place to be honest. Punky-sounding speed / thrash with a dreadful production job. There's a few decent tracks hidden under the murk, but it's too inconsistent by far.
3/5
Overkill - "The Years Of Decay" (1989)
The 1989 fourth full-length from legendary New Jersey thrashers Overkill summarizes my feelings on the band nicely. It's very well composed & executed & I find the vast majority of it to be pretty enjoyable but it rarely takes me to the upper echelons of my excitement. I actually think that Ben & Sonny's reviews sum up my own thoughts pretty well as I definitely think that Overkill are at their best when they tone the velocity down a little & focus on atmosphere over aggression but their tendency to want to indulge in their classic metal influences at key moments does detract from the intensity a bit at times, despite a few welcome tributes to the mighty Black Sabbath. The album takes a while to get going & we have to wait until right at the end for the highlight track in the thrashy Anthrax-inspired "E.vil N.ever D.ies". They rely very heavily on their impressively charismatic front man Bobby 'Blitz' Ellsworth for the fireworks as the instrumentation is generally pretty basic but admittedly very tightly performed & produced with the bass guitar sitting very nicely in the mix. There's not much to complain about with "The Years Of Decay" as it's a quality thrash record but (as with Overkill's earlier works) it's hard to see why people regard it as such a classic for the genre. In saying that, I do think it was their best album to the time but they hadn't quite reached their peak just yet with their next record (1991's "Horrorscope") seeing them taking a step up to the next level.
For fans of Anthrax, Testament & Annihilator.
3.5/5
Great debut album from a band of young Swedes obviously raised on a diet of Slayer and the giants of Teutonic Thrash that is a throwback to the days when every release didn't have to push the envelope or change the world, but it was enough for an album just to be great for headbanging to.
Great debut album from a band of young Swedes obviously raised on a diet of Slayer and the giants of Teutonic Thrash that is a throwback to the days when every release didn't have to push the envelope or change the world, but it was enough for an album just to be great for headbanging to.
Fuck yeah Sonny!
Dark Angel - "Leave Scars" (1989)
The Californian thrash legends returned from their classic 1986 sophomore album "Darkness Descends" with a more ambitious sound as well as a brand new lineup. Unlike many fans, I actually prefer new front man Ron Rinehart over the rawer & less refined Don Doty. The more complex & lengthy song structures see the band taking more expansive musical journeys too however the production job is absolutely disgusting & manages to nullify a good portion of the band's handy work. This is a real shame as you can still hear the potential in a lot of this material despite the album suffering from a significant quality gap in the middle of the tracklisting with inclusions like "Older Than Time Itself", lengthy instrumental "Cauterization" & pointless ambient piece "Worms" sounding pretty flat for the most part. The short cover version of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song", while not being bad as such, does tend to stick out like a sore thumb too. This really was a missed opportunity for Dark Angel & I end up having similar feelings to Suffocation's "Breeding The Spawn" in that I'm willing to wade through the poor sound quality to pull out the gold nuggets (like classic thrash opener "The Death of Innocence") but can't help but think that there was so much more that was possible with this material.
For fans of Sadus, Slayer & Demolition Hammer.
3.5/5