Assassin - Combat Cathedral (2016)^{Release ID: 17070}

While I've always been aware of Assassin (their debut album The Upcoming Terror is held in reasonably high regard), I'm not certain I'd ever checked them out. Selecting their 5th album, 2016's Combat Cathedral, as my November draft pick for The Pit has given me the opportunity to do just that. Right from the get go I've been impressed with what I've heard. The production is strong, and the band certainly know how to write punchy thrash riffs. Vocalist Ingo Bajonczak is a definite highlight too, being a cross between Testament's Chuck Billy and Pantera's Phil Anselmo, albeit with a German accent. When I listen to the album while doing other things, I'm consistently drawn in by the album's highlight moments, but I have to admit that it's formulaic approach and 53 minute running time have made it a bit of a slog to really focus on in one sitting. In the end I think I get enough enjoyment out of Combat Cathedral to go with 3.5 stars. If you enjoy traditional thrash metal, you could do a lot worse than this.