Review by Rexorcist for Holy Terror - Terror and Submission (1987)

Holy Terror is a thrash band that largely goes unnoticed by the metal community because there are so many more classic bands in the scene, especially bands who did more than two albums.  Those in the know may consider the band a thrash essential.  With the debut that started a short-lived career, they already showed that they have some idea of what to do right.  As is the case with most thrash albums of the time, the production is lo-fi in the vein of Ride the Lightning, which both helps and hinders, and aggression is almost purely the name of the game.  There's an undeniable level of skill involved in the speed.  These two elements have a sense of purity about them that makes it a perfect product of the time.  Unfortunately, it also falls into the "generic" category as many bands of the time were trying to attempt these same basic thrash song structures, so the edge of this album can largely be attributed to... the edge.  Most of these songs are basic yet energetic thrashers with an almost perfect noise and reverb factor.  The first attempt at a slower balled happens five songs in, but because it's basically a two-parter, we go back to the typical stuff halfway through the song.  So, while it's one of the thrashiest thrash metals you can find, it's also quite typically written and offers more energy than surprises.

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