Review by Ben for Infernäl Mäjesty - None Shall Defy (1987)

Infernal Majesty were unknown to me until I read several praise-filled reviews on various websites. I'm extremely glad I checked it out as this release is pure 80s thrash metal gold that's right up there with the very best. Slayer is an obvious influence, but these crazy Canadians (I'm starting to think all Canadians are crazy with Devin Townsend and Voivod also amongst them) certainly add their own touches all the way through.

First and foremost, None Shall Defy is filled to the brim with incredible energy and brilliant shredding riffs. But don't expect one dimensional, chaotic thrash that puts aggression and pure speed above song writing. These guys created memorable tunes and utilized heaps of variety in velocity. While the leads are not always great (one of the only negatives I can come up with), just about every riff gets me banging my head and raising the devil horns in appreciation. The vocalist spits out lyrics with violent intent and the drumming is interesting and technically proficient throughout.

The album is also thoughtfully put together, with 4 awesome longer tracks neatly spread out and separated by a couple of shorter, brutal tracks and a couple of nice atmospheric pieces to boot. None Shall Defy is an amazing thrash metal album that everyone into this style of music simply must own, particularly if bands like Slayer and Sadus are your thing. Highlights for me are Overlord, Night of the Living Dead and None Shall Defy, but the whole album is consistently excellent.