August 2021 Feature Release – The Pit Edition

So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.

This month’s feature release for The Pit has been nominated by Vinny. It's 1986's highly regarded "Game Over" debut album from New York thrash metal exponents Nuclear Assault, a record that I've always had a strong affiliation with.

https://metal.academy/releases/4811

I was first introduced to Nuclear Assault through their 1989 third album "Handle With Care" which I really enjoyed & this triggered me to head back & explore "Game Over" & their sophomore album "Survive" a short time later. I've always found a lot like about "Game Over". Sure, the guitar sound is lacking in distortion & definition but the rest of the mix makes up for it along with a particularly solid performance from the rhythm section. The tracklisting is very consistent with only the disappointing "My America" failing to keep my interest & highlight tracks like "Betrayal" & "My Nuclear War" still sit amongst Nuclear Assault's best material in my opinion.

One of the real strengths of early Nuclear Assault is that they didn't really sound like anyone in particular. They'd already developed their own brand of hardcore-tinged thrash metal that never quite pushed out into full-blown crossover territory. I don't remember "Game Over" blowing me away on first listen. It sounded different to what I was expecting & took a couple of listens to get used to before the quality & energy in the song-writing eventually drew me in but, as you can tell from my score, it was well worth the investment of time & comes highly recommended.

For fans of Hirax, Tankard & "Among The Living"-era Anthrax.

4/5

I have only had a limited exposure to Nuclear Assault over the years. I did see them support Slayer on the South of Heaven tour in the UK and the main thing I remember about their performance was them taking the piss out of hardcore for about five minutes by making lengthy introductions to songs that only lasted ten seconds or so. Their Handle With Care was also one of the first of those new-fangled CD things that I bought in the early nineties and was one of those albums that was kinda OK, but didn't exactly blow me away.

Game Over was the NY thrashers debut released in 1986 and is a more immediate and vital release than Handle With Care. It obviously has a hardcore/crossover influence with quite short track lengths in the main and an urgent, punkish delivery that conjures up images of frantically flailing bodies hurling themselves into seething mosh pits. Consequently the tracks tend to blur together and the album does have a breakneck runaway train quality to it and I don't say that as a criticism. They occasionaly thrust their tongues firmly into their cheeks as presumably a track like Hang the Pope is not to be taken too seriously, or at worst was designed merely to bait the PMRC (no bad thing that).

The guitar tone is not the best, it's a bit harsh and, in all honesty is a bit hard on the ears. Conversely Dan Lilker's bass manages to underpin the tracks and the ex-Anthrax bass man provides a solid foundation upon which the rest of the band can wreak their nuclear-fuelled destruction.

I must admit I enjoyed this much more than Handle With Care, despite the mediocre production job and it's energetic thrashing is just the thing if you want to work out some aggression. The band's fascination with nuclear annihilation is in full flow on Game Over and the album's best tracks are those Mutually Assured Destruction-themed tracks - Nuclear War being my personal favourite, but Radiation Sickness and After the Holocaust are both very good tracks. Ultimately a pretty good debut that I enjoyed for it's unapologetic aggression from a band that are really only seen as peripheral in the thrash metal history books.

4/5

The Anthrax influence on this record is unmistakable; from the hot mic'd bass and John Connelly's incredibly over the top vocal style. But given that I really like Anthrax, this album served its purpose and I actually enjoyed it more than I should have. Songs like "Betrayal", "After the Holocaust" and "Nuclear War" all sound fun, energetic and most importantly, catchy. There are some decent hooks on songs like "Cold Steel"  and "Radiation Sickness", but the over the top production in the percussion is enough to blow everything else out. There are some sections on this record that harken back to one of Slayer's better records, Show No Mercy as well. For me, I enjoy this quite a bit simply because of the blatant punk influence in the production and songwriting. Pleasantly surprised to say the least.

7/10

Finally got around to reviewing my own nomination.

In conversations about "Top Ten Thrash Metal Albums", Nuclear Assault's debut full-length tends to get mentioned in hushed tones as being "just outside this list.." or in the honourable mentions at least. Revisiting it for the purposes of this feature review I certainly do not disagree with that sentiment and have heard no reason to change my review from my original four stars that I awarded this album on the site however many months ago off the back of this run through. Considering this came out the same year as Master Of Puppets, Reign In Blood and Pleasure to Kill it is most certainly not on the same par as those classics. However, I think what it lacks in a sense of refinement or focused aggression it more than makes up for with attitude.

What this album reminds me of is the chaotic sonics of the aforementioned Slayer with the energy and ethos of Overkill. The gruff vocals of John Connelly have a different level of intensity to a Tom Araya and a much less sneery style than Blitz has, but the sheer determination in the riffing, drumming and plodding bass suggests a band who are doggedly forging their way in a genre where the early pace setting has already been done and they are simply just here to stay slightly ahead of the chasing pack out of pure enthusiasm alone.

Tracks come thick and fast on Game Over delivered in short bursts of two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half-minute rumbling thrash metal that has the requisite political, anti-religious or social commentary running through it. This feels like an thrash album done with a grind mentality if we focus on the ludicrously rampant Hang The Pope or the tongue in cheek Mr. Softee Theme. Immature though these tracks appear to be they are certainly not out of place on an album that feels it was written just for the band themselves and anyone else getting onboard is just a bonus.

So, whilst it may not be the pinnacle of eighties thrash metal, Game Over certainly comes across as honest and authentic to the genre vibe of standing up for what you believe in and making a lot of noise whilst you do so.

4/5

I had a bit of fun with Game Over, but I don't think I can say it was good. I've found myself struggling with a lot of the more old-school Thrash releases that come up on here, and this one was no exception thanks to its weak guitar tone, the strange mixing between the blistering guitar riffs and bass lines, and pretty disinteresting songs in the second half. I like how snappy it is, certainly goes along with the more aggressive, devil-may-care attitude this album has, and the two interlude tracks "Hang the Pope" and "Mr. Softee Theme" got a pretty good chuckle out of me. Other than that there isn't too much for me to really enjoy about this one, sadly. 

The vocals are really cool though, for some reason it reminds me of a Thrash Metal Geddy Lee from Rush with the higher pitched, more Rock-ish screams and flourishes. Still not sure if that's technically a positive or not, but it is in my book. 

2.5/5

The vocals are really cool though, for some reason it reminds me of a Thrash Metal Geddy Lee from Rush with the higher pitched, more Rock-ish screams and flourishes. Still not sure if that's technically a positive or not, but it is in my book. 

This right here is why I love this place.  Never heard that comparison before but now you have said it, I can kinda hear it too.