Raider - Trial by Chaos (2023)^{Release ID: 46188}

When I listen to modern thrash metal, what I would like to hear is a band that knows how to write a good melodic motif instead of beating their listeners over the head with riff after riff after riff. Too many newer acts borrow from progressive metal and try to blend multiple ideas together without any sense of connection. I've always enjoyed Kreator for that very reason and so it should come as no surprise that Raider's newest record, Trial by Chaos, falls very comfortably into a very similar mold.

Of course, my comparison to Kreator should not go unnoticed since this album takes a lot of influence from the heavier branch of thrash that dabbles in death metal. The primary vocals sound like they would fit right in with any number of classic (or modern) melodic death metal albums. They are also performed with an impressive level of precision and dictation, meaning that the normal thrash listener won't be thrown off by the death metal growls and shrieks. The instrumentals sound great and are carried by the guitar riffing and to that end, riffs have enough variety between them, but still feel connected to one another. Trial by Chaos only has eight tracks and Raider are putting their best foot forward as to not oversaturate. As for the soloing, there is some impressive shredding going on here, but it does not feel overindulgent; that is to say that this does not feel like a "wank" album.

Where this album loses me is the percussion. While it is performed with precision, I feel like it relies too heavy on the double bass to keep the album chugging along. The song "New Dominion" comes to mind as a mid song breakdown is mitigated by a percussion part that does not drop down with the guitar. And that kind of goes for the album as a whole. It's only about forty minutes, which is a great amount of time to play this kind of music without becoming too stale, but it would be nice to have an interlude or a break between, since nothing truly stood out to me. Overall it's a decent thrash album that fits the mold of what I like in modern thrash, but lacks some refinement.

Best Songs: Trial By Chaos, Fearless, Ark Of Empyrea, Devour The Darkness