Nuclear Assault - Pounder

"A Pounding Final Assault"


I have actually never been a big fan of Nuclear Assault. Maybe because the first thing I ever heard was the track "Hang the Pope" which I still think is a horrible track, and that consequently held me from exploring the band. However after the EP was announced and I heard some music, I was intrigued to really explore the band. Nonetheless, this mini-album was a positive surprise and I even managed to catch the band on tour, performing a great concert!

This little EP is kicked off by the title-track which is a fine little nod to the old days and how it has survived through the years. Overall it is a nice opener and sets a good mood for the short amount of time this record lasts for. "Lies" is lyrically something you could've seen back in the '80s as well, as you're supposed to open your eyes and see beyond the so called lies. Musically it is the track I favour the least on this EP, as it's not as interesting or well composed as the other songs. The last two tracks are actually my favourites. "Analog Man in a Digital World" features a really catchy chorus which could work great live is the crowd is familiar with the track. The lyrics are mostly spot on for me personally with passages like "Nifty little gadget you've got running your world, tell me when's the last time that you spoke to a girl?". But contrary to another part of the lyrics, I must admit I love myself a good amount of gaming whether online or not. A bit of Duke Nukem 3D never hurt anybody. At first glance, the last track led my thoughts towards Cutting Crew's classic, but of course the two tracks are two different things. Anyway. "Died in Your Arms" definitely stands out from the rest of the EP with its more melancholic and gloomy feel, both in music and lyrics. On that track those two aspects definitely support each other greatly, and is also why I would say it is the best track off Pounder.

Production-wise it sounds like you've been invited into Nuclear Assault's rehearsal room, you've taken a seat on the couch with a cold one, and then just enjoy the show. The analog vs. digital thing definitely shines through on the production, which is not a coincidence. It doesn't sounds as good as past offerings from the band's heydays. For one, I think the snare could've been nurtured a bit more. John Connelly's vocals sounds really good and is not even close to being a point-of-complaint from me. To give you a quick overlook, Pounder is definitely better than Third World Genocide, but I wouldn't say that it is on-par with for example, The Plague. It is a solid last offering where it would've been nice with some more material, but maybe it is a case of "less is more". Hardcore fans can enjoy it and so can newer fans.

Rating

7.5

Slayer - Repentless

"When the Mediocrity Comes"


Does Slayer really need an introduction? All right then...  It's been six years since we had a piece of material from these old fellas which is quite a gab, and a lot of shit happened since 2009. New label, new members, new production team and the loss of Jeff.

Repentless starts off pretty strong with the title-track being introduced by the instrumental "Delusions of Saviour". While the intro track, just like 95% of other intro tracks, could've been used for a mid-section is a bit redundant, I must admit that I enjoy the title-track, "Repentless". Bostaph thrusts a lot of life into the track with his all around solid and tight performance. But after that, there's a wide gap until something worthwhile comes along.
"When the Stillness Comes" was very quickly compared to "South of Heaven" and therefore labeled as a major throwback. However this track does not make it into the highlights spot. It never really takes off properly and seems unfinished. But I will give them credit for bringing some variation into the album. Slayer already did a track reminiscent of "South of Heaven" in 1994 with "213" which I think is a better track.

We're also treated with some recycling in the likes of "Atrocity Vendor". It was originally recorded during the World Painted Blood sessions and released on a single the year after. There's not much change from the original version. Still corny and forgettable. "Implode" is probably one of the worst tracks off the album and it was definitely not a wise decision for this to be the first track to be heard from the album back when it was announced. Forgettable. That's the word I have to use again and again. It's not until the second last track, "You Against You" that we get something that's worth coming back for. Just as the title-track it mixes some good riffing with skank-beats and just good songwriting. Of course, this does not rank among the band's best offerings, but it's solid, and a relief on this record. It's really hard not to shout along when Tom yells out "YOU AGAINST YOU!"

Behind the knobs is Terry Date, who has produced a lot of albums which I love, not only because the songwriting but also the production. He does a good job on this album. I am pretty sure he had some restrictions, because the albums sounds like you would expect. Just like a Slayer record in 2015. However credit is due for the heaviness on the record. The instruments sounds have a good depth and punch to them. I do however think both Christ Illusion and World Painted Blood had more character in its productions, especially when it comes to the guitars. But it wouldn't had made any sense to go down the same road once more.

To the touchy subject, the line-up. This is the first album without Jeff and once again Dave is out of the band. A lot of fans have said that it's not Slayer without Lombardo and continue to do so. And as an almost lifelong Slayer fan I would like to say that it is total fucking bullshit. Bostaph is a really good drummer and if anyone shines on Repentless, it's definitely him. People seem to forget the past he has with Forbidden, featuring on two of the best thrash albums to come out of the bay area. Whether Dave or Paul plays on this record doesn't change the fact of who's at the helm of this ship. Would the album have been better if Jeff was alive? Maybe and maybe not. God Hates Us All and Diabolus in Musica are still pretty bad, and don't take that the wrong way, I still grief Jeff's death. Would it have been better if Gary Holt contributed? Maybe and maybe not. Blood in Blood Out was definitely not the return everybody had hoped for. But I hope to see him contribute in the future, because Slayer won't stop until both King and Araya are in the nursing home.
So throw your goddamn "everything but the original line-up is not Slayer"-goggles. I witnessed this line-up perform at Wacken 2014, which is on the deluxe edition, and it is a fucking power demonstration. As Gary Holt said, he is not some new kid, or a groove metal-dude. He's a veteran. And so is Bostaph.

I only find two tracks worthy of coming back to on this record. The title-track, "Repentless" and "You Against You". Would I mind hearing these tracks live? No... Would I mind hearing something from Christ Illusion or World Painted Blood live? No... But I sure as hell would prefer a set-list only with excerpts from the first six studio releases and hear the classics. At least it has a pretty face. The cover for this album is without a doubt the best since Reign in Blood.
If I were to place it on the list, I would place it under the last two albums, but it's definitely a better record than both God Hates Us All and Diabolus in Musica. But, what you see is what you get. More of the same. For some, that is fine and is going to cut it perfectly, and I'd wish I was on the same wagon. But I'm not.

R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman, 1964-2013.

Rating

6.5

Lich King - Do-Over

"Sounds Like a Healthy Duck!"


Just in time for Lichmas, Lich King dropped their first EP containing a couple of "do-overs" and a little more. It's supposed to smooth out the waiting and please you until the band unleashes their fifth album, so let's take a quick little look at it.

So what's new and what's not? Well, we get two do-overs from Necromantic Maelstorm and three from Toxic Zombie Onslaught. Do you remember the way those two albums sound like? If not, Lich King is kind enough to remind you; "Our first two albums were recorded and mixed by a guy who had no idea to do either... They stink". Instead of just making an EP they could've gone the way of Exhumed who's not satisfied with the sound of their debut album, and therefore decided to re-record the whole thing. Great idea since one of my favorite Lich King songs are missing in the likes of Attack of the Wrath of the War of the Death of the Strike of the Sword of the Blood of the Beast. Fuck yeah. But oh well, I'm not in Lich King so it's not my decision, all I can do is hope. And it would be an endless task to please everybody.

But let's get to it. The do-overs are great and sound really good thanks to the quality in Lich King's sound which has been developing since World Gone Dead and really achieved on Born of the Bomb. That style continues here as Tom sounds better on the first to albums and delivers good vocals and Brian really has become quite a great drummer. I can clearly hear the advancement and I often find myself mimicking the drums. Black Metal Sucks received a little extra re-doing as the bands now put their pictures up on Facebook and not Myspace, and at the end... you'll be surprised. Then we got the cover of Van Halen's Hot for Teacher which as first was an odd choice to me but it is without their greatest cover to date, and it might stay that way because it's fantastic. It fits their image and gave them the opportunity to put in some funny stuff in the class sections in the song. Too bad guitar solos aren't allowed it class. Then we get a recycled Lichmas gift in the likes of Crossover Songs Are Too Damn Short. It has always been listed as a demo version, so I'm not sure if it's ending up on album five or not. Either way it's a fun, great and strangely enough, an ironic song. But ignore the demo moniker on the song because it sounds fucking great.

And here comes the section that doesn't matter but I just want it in this review. Lich King are fucking great. The promotion they did for this album was phenomenal in the likes of the leaked edition gimmick and just the way the band interacts with their fans. Hiding free download codes on their various sites and on their Minecraft server. I don't play that game but just listen to the idea, it's so genius. You can say what you want about this band, hell back in the day I was not even too crazy about them, but NOBODY interact with their fans the way Lich King does. And they deserve tons of respect for that. At last, a little side note. Look at the cover. It's just fucking glorious and it's just typical of Tom to get such a great idea. If you don't get the reference in the cover, I'm sorry for you, because I won't explain it.

Conclusion time. Do-Over is a great EP for both the newcomer and the old Lich King fan. Of course you could argue over which songs should be on the record, I could even join in but it would not really gain us anything as we don't call the shots and the selection is quite good as it is.

Rating

8.0

Alkoholizer - Free Beer....Surfs Up!!!

"Don't Get Fooled by the Free Beer!"


So... Alkoholizer from Italy is back. They were pretty prominent in the revival with the Drunk or Dead... album in 2009 which was nothing special, but a pretty decent revival album that could fit into any party. After that album the band kind of disappeared but in 2013 they released an EP to state that the Sardinian boars had returned and now we've been offered a new studio album.

It has been five years since the last studio album and since then, and things have changed within the Italian band. Vocalist Alessandro and drummer Gabriele who both played on Drunk or Dead... have departed. A new drummer has been brought in and bassist Fabrizio is now handling the vocals. Besides that the band also recruited a second guitarist, which results in a couple of solo vs. solo situations but that is about it. It seems pretty clear to me that Alkoholizer didn't want to change anything from their last record as Fabrizio's vocals is just a replica of Alessandro's. And even though I liked the old vocals better, they were still not mindblowing or anything. Just a kind of Tom Araya light... So what you're left with in the end is that Alkoholizer doesn't seem to have moved an inch.

In addition to that, Free Beer....Surf's Up!!! could easily have been released as a quick follow up in 2011 or so. It follows the exact same recipe as the previous album but it's not quite as good. In spite of the better production on this album, it lacks the real party thrashers that Drunk or Dead... contained. The least they could've done with an album title and cover like this, was to put a Sacred Reich cover on the damn playlist... but no. Negativity aside, of course there's good songs to be found and a fair amount of interesting thrash riffs in songs like Faceless, System Aberration and Breathalize and Destroy!! which also ends up being my favourites from this record.

So what's left of it in the end? There's a couple tracks here and there that you could add to your party playlist, but even for that I would still go back to the previous album. The album feel redundant to me when the only thing there's better than the previous album is the production and both songs and vocals where better on the last album as well. So if you're okay with getting more of the same then you'd like this album, if not, then there's more interesting releases to get. Not quite the comeback I had hoped for from the Sardinian boars.

You can find Alkoholizer on Facebook to keep up to date and check their material at Bandcamp.

Rating

7.0

Blood Eagle - Kill Your Tyrants

"The Tyrants Are Killed, Now Go Home..."


Blood Eagle is a deathgrind band from my home country, Denmark and is the supposed 'supergroup' of leftover musicians from Hatesphere, Volbeat and Mercenary. Now I don't mean that in a bad way, it is just that the 'supergroup'-expression is something I really dislike. Most of these 'supergroups' have not really amounted anything besides having impressive lineups, obviously there are few exceptions, like Bloodbath and Down, but those have big musicians like Mikael Åkerfeldt and Phil Anselmo. The members in Blood Eagle are the a bassist from Hatesphere, a drummer from Raunchy and a brief guitarist from Volbeat. There has to be a limit, you know what I am saying? I obviously mean no disrespect to the musicians of Blood Eagles talents, I just think that there should be a limit on when we label things a 'supergroup'. Anyway, enough of my rambling, lets get to the music.

So a good thing is that the production is great, it is really thick and feels like a hammer pounding down on you. The drums are well-played, but lacks energy. The hi-hat is way too high in the mix and makes the snaredrum disappear whenever blast beats are being played, which is a really bad things since snaredrums are essential in deathgrind. It has to be said, in the slower/mid-paced sections the snare sounds good. While I have no problem with clicky bassdrums, but the ones used here got a little annoying by the end (which is saying a lot since this EP is only nearly ten minutes).

The bass is inaudible, which is in some cases excusable since deathgrind tends to blend all the instruments together. The guitars on this EP are some of the best I have heard in a while, they are really heavily distorted, which fits the musical agenda. The riffs, while not the best, are really well performed and gives a great mix between death metal and thrash metal. They also sometimes feel like they belong in a post-metal band, which is evident in the end of the song, Death Sub Zero.

The vocals are not bad per se. But what ruins it for me, is that the singer sounds like he tried to combine the deep, hoarse growling of death metal and the screaming and yelling vocals of grindcore. I think the vocals would sound much better if they went either way, and did not combine the two voices into one.

Overall, this was not a bad experience as it may seem like. It is very short one, only ten minutes into three songs, but I actually have no doubt that this was a teaser trailer for what is to come, and I think that Blood Eagle could create something great for the danish metal scene. The really fast deathgrind stuff mixed with the hard-pounding post-metal and mid-paced thrash metal sections are really good, but they just needed that extra push to make it great.

Rating

6.5

Amken - Adrenaline Shot

"Be Careful Not to Overdose"


Amken is a debuting thrash metal band from Greece who's been around since 2011. These fellas have received some good press talk especially in their home country where the Greek Metal Hammer magazine named them band of the week earlier in 2014. Not only that but they also secured a spot opening for Six Feet Under, which is quite impressive. Adrenaline Shot with its awesome looking artwork is their first release, so here's a little insight on just that.

True to the EP's title, you'll get an adrenaline shot and it starts with skank beats, as soon as you play the first track which is also the title track. But I'm not going to plunge into each track as there's only four of them. I am however going to break it down a bit, quite specifically into two parts. But before that, a quick little look on the production. It is crisp. It is clear. Everything is audible and sounds really good, to me it doesn't sound like there's a guitarist or a drummer in the band in charge. It sounds professional and not in a overly polished shitty way but in an impressive way for a debut release. The general way this EP is showcased and done is quite nice and it doesn't feel like it's just a 2nd rate thrash metal band, but someone who wants to be taken seriously.

In spite of these things, Amken struggle to set themselves apart from other thrash bands coming out, but in some way they manage to do it anyway to a certain point. The first half of the EP, meaning the title track Adrenaline Shot and Zombie Pets are your typical no-brain thrash metal songs. There's not much to them besides the great production and pure fun, and to be honest I need more than that to be entertained by thrash metal these days. Otherwise I see no point in returning to a certain record and listen to it again. It's hard to put words on the vocals, but they're not revolutionary. They feel like a mix of harsh and squealy-like vocals and they are pretty decent but still average. And since the EP is only 19 minutes long it doesn't give you the chance to get enough of them. The real interesting thing however, is the last half of the EP, which is the tracks Nightmares and God's Asleep. On these songs Amken take an important step in my eyes and creates two more grown up thrash songs. Nightmares features my favourite riff off the record and the song itself just got a gloomy feel to it mixed with thrash metal of course. That goes for God's Asleep as well, and that is where Amken really shines and manages to vary the tracks and keep them more interesting. I would love to see the band continue down that road and experiment some more with those ideas.

So what remains after these four tracks? A fairly entertaining debut release from a Greek thrash band which I hope will turn into something more than just a band who plays no-brain thrash metal. Adrenaline Shot is not going to convince that friend of yours who's sceptical about thrash metal that it's the real thing ever, but you who do enjoy thrash should pick this up for its potential.

Support the quartet on Facebook, check out their Zombie Pets video and get a hold of their EP at BigCartel.

Rating

7.5

Fatal Mutiny - Existence in Extinction

"Existing Strength and Confidence"


I feel like Greece is treating me really good. That country keeps spawning new awesome bands and the amount of them seems unending! Fatal Mutiny is the latest addition to my library of Greek metal bands, and they play technical thrash metal. They have been active since 2010 and now they have released their debut album, Existence in Extinction which will be put under the scope.

I'm not quite sure how to start off though because I just want to get it out immediately that I think this is a really strong and impressive debut album. Allow me to specify. The production is really, really fucking good, it's heavy and thrashy. The drums sound outright amazing and they got a fierce punch that last through the entire album. Everything is clear and audible, and that goes for the bass as well! Besides the sound of the drums, I can't get enough of the production sound of the solos on this album. They sound like the band went back to the 80's and took back the sound with them and I love the 80's sound. The regular guitar tone is thrash no doubt and the overall sound of the album is modern and well produced, then mixed with those solos. It sounds amazing.

There's a good amount of interesting riffs that supports the technical element of this album quite good, and the mix between all out thrash and technical parts are well varied. And some songs even have jazz inspiration though while thinking what it really reminded me of, I couldn't help think about Atheist. Not a bad thing at all. The vocals are hoarse and angry so don't expect a Toxik clone as Fatal Mutiny feels like they're up in your face most of the time. On two occasions the vocals get varied, one is good and the other is less good. On the track Closing In... Time is Gone we're treated with a deeper vocal almost reaching growling. I really liked that when it comes to variety, because I think the standard vocal fits the music to a certain point. Throughout the album it can be a bit long-drawn to listen to those hoarse vocals and it could probably bother a fair amount of people. Anyway, the other vocal variation is on Ligeia where there is small sections where the vocals almost go harmonic, trying to press in some proper singing, and that did not work for me. I would like to stick to Ligeia for a second as it's the longest song reaching almost 9 minutes. When I saw the length I was expecting the fellas to go progressive on me, which would have been fine but they didn't. Instead it breaks into a solo focused song and then returns to vocals in the end and they actually nail it, and here's where the solo production sound really shines!

Fatal Mutiny achieve what a lot of bands fail to. They set themselves apart from the rest. Even though their logo might not implicate just that, their music sure as hell does. I hope it's a sign of the times that the "pizza, beer & mosh"-cliché thrash is dying out. Thrash is my favourite sub genre, but enough is enough. But looking at the other side of the coin, where does Existence in Extinction fail? The vocals as I mentioned earlier might be a factor for a lot people and it can be for me as well. It lacks the interesting or catchy songs if you want to call them that, the songs stays on your mind after you've listened to the album. There's not a song like Spontaneous, Heart Attack or World Circus on here. It's probably a bit unfair to just drag in Toxik like that but it is well meant because I want this record to succeed as much as possible.

What does all this rambling leads us to? A 42 minute long album that is very impressive from a young Greek band that I'm eagerly going to follow in the future. With highlighting moments like Bloodlust, Existence in Extinction and Ligeia it's going to be exciting to see what the future holds for this band. If you're into any kind of thrash I would definitely recommend this album to you, and if you've been longing for something with technical elements then you should rush out to get this album!

Head over and support the boys at their Facebook and please yourself with their music at Soundcloud.

Rating

8.0

Endless Recovery - Thrash Rider

"Beware of Greece"


Before we start I would like to use an old saying: Don't judge a book by its cover.
Now let get this thing started! Endless Recovery started back in 2010 and Thrash Rider is their debut album. Even though the band haven't been active for that many years they've really shuffled through some members leaving drummer, Michalis as the only remaining founding member. But that is not the biggest change to note, as the biggest change is the vocals. Their old vocalist was your generic shouting thrash vocalist, but new in the ranks is Mixalis, whose vocal is leaning more towards black metal but keeping the thrash element to it. If you really wanted to, you could probably draw some lines to the old Sodom, but still keeping its own style with the use of squeals at the end of certain lines in the lyric.

Thrash Rider contains 8 tracks and it spins for 30 minutes. The total time of this record actually becomes one of its strongest forces and therefore minimizes the chance of the album becoming too long and dull. Instead of that it becomes a thrash metal fix you can consume in 30 minutes. As the first force of the album was its length, the second force is the vocals. The third and final force is actually the production. Sound-wise I really like this album, while it is nothing special or big change within the genre it does what it is supposed to. In particular, I really like the pumping sound of the bass drums which really comes into play in Corrupted Media Propaganda with its continuously high tempo. Besides that song I would recommend Power of Hate which contains some good harmonic solos and then the title track, Thrash Rider with its "catchyness" if that's even a word... probably not. Listen to it anyway!

So why not judge a book by its cover? In my case I would have turned this album down immediately if it was something I had found myself. In spite of thrash metal being my favourite sub genre, I am tired to death of cliché revival bands. Luckily some bands like Evile, Violator and Fueled By Fire matured...
Not all of Thrash Rider is entirely cliché but it is overall a really good and well crafted thrash experience that lasts 30 minutes, simply put: It doesn't outstay its welcome. Once again Greece proves to have a gem within its metal scene among bands like War Device and Bandemonic. I would definitely recommend Endless Recovery and I hope they can follow up with another fun and thrashing release like this one!

You can follow the band on Facebook and check out their music at Bandcamp.

Rating

8.3

Toxic Waltz - Decades of Pain

"Mid-paced Waltz"


Yet another new thrash metal band pops up in the distance. This time it is Toxic Waltz from Germany, and yes they are named after the legendary Exodus track. The band has been active for quite some time, actually since 2009 but it took them five years to put out their debut material. Will it end up being just another drop in the sea? Let's see.

The album starts out with somewhat of a trend among bands these days - a redundant instrumental intro that doesn't really add anything to the album. The riff in the end carries into the first real track on the album and that is about it. I won't dive into each track that much as it won't really be necessary. Decades of Pain features a modern production, and it doesn't sound that different from other releases coming out at the moment. But I do like the drum production and the overall sound of the drums, except one little strange thing I noticed. Through some passages there's been added some extra reverb to the snare to highlight the drums, and it sounds quite odd to me. Just leave the damn reverb on, let me feel like it's the 80's!

But how well does Toxic Waltz deliver with this debut album? With emphasis on thrash, they barely deliver. In spite of being named after an Exodus song it doesn't feel like they ever listened to Exodus. Decades of Pain is a mid-paced album and after listening to this album I don't feel like I have been thrashed. Not even once. That is my biggest frustration when going through this album; sitting and waiting for the tempo, for the thrashing to begin, but that day never came. Of course, an album doesn't need to be fast to be good, but since there's no tracks that gets stuck and feel memorable it feels more like a decade of boredom. The last song on the album, Obsession to Kill actually builds up to some waltzing, but it does not take long for it to fall back into the mid-pacing and raising my frustration level. Adding the last nail to the coffin, I don't feel like the vocals add anything to the music either. They feel like your average shouting thrash vocalist, even though at the end of a line in the lyrics, the vocals pulls off some awesome shrieks, screams and growling. The vocal style should have leaned more towards those extremes, even though it still doesn't fix the rest of the album.

So where does this leave us? The band has received loads of promotion but I don't see why. There's nothing teutonic about them, nothing bay area, not even new school thrash. The album feels more like a groove/thrash album as it never takes off. When getting a real overlook on this album, the thing I'm left with that I really like is the album cover. To sum that up a bit, if you want a good thrash album added to your collection, find something else. If you want some mid-paced groove/thrash, then this is for you. That brings me back to the question I asked myself in the beginning; will it end up being just another drop in the sea? The answer is yes.

Rating

6

Triumphant - Herald the Unsung

"Herald the Triumphant"


Triumphant is a brand new band (more or less) from Austria. They've been appearing under a couple of monikers over the years but without releasing a full-length album. But 2014 saw the release of Herald the Unsung, which is a fantastic and diverse record, so we got a lot of ground to cover here!

Before digging into the record, I would like to bring up why I simply love this band. They don't restrict themselves to one genre and then stay inside that box, whether it's thrash metal or black metal. The band themselves refer to their genre as evil metal, and that fits the record quite well. You will hear the smashing influences from thrash metal, with the atmosphere and riffing from black metal. If you want a perfect example of that, then listen to the song Devotion. You'll also get a chunk of the 80's thrown into your face, all delivered with a great and diverse vocal. However it's still hard to pin down the overall sound of this record. Triumphant is a versatile band, they explore and mix everything they love about metal. And that's what makes this band so fresh and exciting! It's something you have to hear and explore yourself. Don't judge the record on just one track, but go through the whole thing, as I said, these guys love to mix everything they love about metal.

I guess it won't surprise you when I say the production this album is crisp and it brings forth the best aspects of the record. It fits the atmosphere and the hard hitting moments perfectly, and I really don't have many griefs when it comes to the production. The only thing is the rapid fadeout on the last track, Triumphant. Staying on that subject, it is actually one of the best, if not the best song off the album. The song will take you straight back to the 80's with its out of mind guitar harmonies, which simply sound outstanding. However the band put their own touch onto the 80's style with this song, as lead singer Bekim Leatherdemon's vocals varies from the black/thrash oriented vocal style to a clean vocal. But does it sound good? Yes, it sounds amazing, and I didn't really notice it because it seems so natural and fits the song perfect. And it only adds to the possibilities Triumphant has making music. Returning to the sound, every instrument is moulded well together in an old school way, so it doesn't sound too modern, and yet it doesn't sound too raw and unproduced either. The two introduction tracks, Triumfator and Nightfall are filled with great atmosphere and add a lot of depth to the record, plus they each lead up to a great track. To sum it up a bit, this album has been put together perfectly.

From the beginning and till the harmonic end of this album, it's and amazing experience. The three winners on the album is Life Under the Inverted Cross, Devotion and Triumphant. In a time where you can record a full-length album in your bedroom and countless bands keep popping up, it's hard to set yourself apart. That is something a lot of bands fails to do, but Triumphant is not one of those bands. With their self-proclaimed "evil metal" they set their music apart, and I'm excited to see what the future brings from this band. Herald the Unsung is definitely a strong contender for one of the best albums of 2014. So if you're in for a batch of evil metal, then I suggest you get your hands on this masterpiece!
 
Follow Triumphant on Facebook and get a taste of this album on their Bandcamp profile.

Rating

9

War Device - Whisper of Souls

"Embrace the War Device"


War Device do not fuck around. In January '13 they released their EP, The Anger and in December they released their debut album, Whisper of Souls. A busy year for the Greek thrashers, and I've been looking forward to this album, so let's have a look, shall we?

The album starts with the fashion that's spreading more and more; an instrumental intro. It's not that different from your average intro track, it is mid paced and slowly building up until the next tracks starts. And it leads into the title track of the album which is really enjoyable. One thing I have to get off my chest is that War Device is no "thrash revival" band. With this album they cement that they got their own style unlike many other new thrash metal bands. I really liked their EP and its production, and the production is even better now, and that is a major plus. A lot of times I've experienced that bands go from releasing an EP to a full length and then screw up the production because it has to be as clean as possible. But not this time! The sound hits a lot harder than on the EP, and the bass really came out as the winner here unlike on The Anger. The drums also sound good, especially the pedals, but I'm not too crazy about the snare which could have been better but it's not awful either.

Greece. I must say I don't know too much about their bands. I also brought up this subject in my review of their EP, and that Suicidal Angels is the only Greek band you really hear about. Or at least the only I really hear about. But my point is... War Device is better that Suicidal Angels. I don't get bored halfway through Whisper of Souls, neither do I get the feeling that I just heard the same song 5 minutes ago with the exact same structure. Anyway, as I mentioned, War Device really cemented their style with this release and building upon what the made with The Anger. They certainly did not disappoint me with this album, but it didn't meet my high expectations either. The album cover is once again photoshopped, but it looks pretty good in spite of that. I would like to have seen Andrei Bouzikov's version of it...

The album's strongest pillar is the production. I had high expectations (maybe too high) for this album as their EP, The Anger, was a blast from start till end. So the consistency the EP had faded a bit on Whisper of Souls. Of course a full-length holds more tracks, so the chance of fillers is a bit higher. In spite of that the albums still comes out as a strong debut with great content and a re-recording from The Anger. The tracks that I think stands out is Whisper of Souls, Shattering My Thoughts, M.I.P. (Mind in Panic), and Rehab Beyond Perfection. And if you like any of those songs, or some of the other tracks from the album then you gotta get their EP as well. It's just badass, and it features a killer Kreator cover! To sum up this album, it's quite good but I got a feeling that it maybe was a bit rushed. 2013 seemed to have been a busy year for War Device with both their EP and debut album. But with those two releases they truly have got a solid foundation for their future, and I'm looking forward to their next material.

Rating

8

Nervosa - Victim of Yourself

"Morbid, Twisted & Nasty"


The wait is over as Nervosa's debut album finally has been released. I have been looking forward to this moment ever since I heard their demo from 2012 with the smashing track Masked Betrayer. Something that impresses me is their fans on Facebook. Almost 90.000 (at the time of this review) and they barely released their first album. Then if you head over to Last.fm they don't even reach 2.000 listeners. That's quite funny, at least to me, as I can't help but think most of their likes is because a bunch of lads thinks that it's hot that some good looking women is playing thrash metal. Of course I only like them because of their music... not the other stuff... at all. But back to the matter at hand, does the album live up to the expectation? Let us have a look.

You will be greeted with an introduction track named Intro... (can you feel my disappointment over the track's name?) and it leads into the first track Twisted Values quite well. The introduction being a slow paced riff experience leads up to the break of Twisted Values and from that point on and until the ending of the album, it's a non stop assault. In spite of being covered by the thrash metal moniker, you can't avoid hearing the obvious death metal influences in the band. For me that is great and it adds a lot of freshness as there is death metal riffs here and there, and Nervosa really mixed that quite good. The production of the album is nothing special, it's basically just your average sounding modern metal album. However the guitar sounds quite good and adapts to both the thrash and death metal elements of the album. The drums and bass just fits, there's nothing really noticeable besides the snare got a nice hit to hit, but that's about it.

On my first listen the album didn't get to me that much but it definitely did on the second listen and so on. What makes this album really good is the fantastic blend between death and thrash metal, and that is something I expected to be present on the album. Because those influences were pretty clear on their demo, and it keeps the album fresh with the death metal influence so it's not just a non stop thrash metal assault, we got plenty of those. The distinctive and snarling vocals of Fernanda is something that also draws me towards the band as they separate Nervosa from other female bands. And just look at the cover! Andrei Bouzikov once again proves his skills to create an amazing piece of art.

So, out of the 12 tracks what songs would I recommend you checking out first? Go with Twisted Values, Justice Be Done, Nasty Injury and Envious to start with. That's my favourites from the album. If you like what you hear, then you should dig up their 2012 demo, Time of Death and listen to Masked Betrayer, which is my favourite track by Nervosa so far. Don't let your guard down because this three-piece female band will rip you apart at any given chance. I'd recommend getting your hands on this if you would like something different than your average thrash revival band. The vocals are almost biting you, and the mix with death metal and a heavy production really pulls this album up and sets it apart from the rest. Victim of Yourself is a solid debut that has some great songs on it, but also some fillers. It's going to be exciting to see what these Brazilian ladies comes up with next!

Rating

8.3

Nuclear Terror - Contaminated Salvation

"Contaminated Terror"


Nuclear Terror is a thrash metal band from Greece that has been around since 2009 but their first material to hit the streets is this EP, released in 2014.

The EP starts out with an instrumental intro, which is not named "Intro", praise the heavens for that. Besides that, there is not much to say about Dawn of Extinction (the name of the intro), it's basicly just a kind of melodic introduction that fades out. It breaks into the first track Nuclear Warfare, which is an okay track, but the vocals are mixed way too low and are drowned out by the music. However it seems that in some of the other tracks the vocals are mixed a bit higher, and that only adds to my confusion regarding what the hell was going on when the EP was done. Musically the sound is pretty good, I like the general sound of Contaminated Salvation and the instruments. Guitars got a nice bone gnawing sound and the bass is audible. The drums also sound pretty good but I would probably had turned up the snare a bit more.

There is some interesting riffing and various parts on the album that definitely have potential. However the mixing is not the only thing that works against the vocals, another problems is the vocals themselves. They don't quite fit the music somehow, even though there's not really anything distinctive about them. I would love to have heard the material with the vocals sounding different, as the vocals is really the only problem that holds the release back from really cutting through. When it comes to the lyrics it's not really that diverse, but pretty typical for a thrash release as the themes are nuclear war, killing and thrashing. I actually like the artwork. It is not over-photoshopped but there is some mistakes on the brushes in the corner and the bottom where the brushes has been duplicated and mirrored, and it doesn't really look good. But aside from that, I dig the cover, especially the colouring. I never really hand out highlights from EP's as they got a short running time, so just power on through this bad boy!

Contaminated Salvation is a solid debut release from a thriving Greek underground scene, which has already spawned great bands like War Device and Bandemonic. I hope Nuclear Terror can rise up to the challenge and overcome the problems that this EP have and get a solid debut album rolled out on the streets.

Check out the band on Facebook.

Rating

7.3

Battery - Armed with Rage

"Hostile, Armed & Genocidal"


Introducing the debut album of Danish thrash band Battery. Oh, and if you're already thinking about it, no they are not named after the Metallica song. Formed in 2008 they have a couple of demos and an EP released prior to this album.

Having known Battery for quite some time, I've also heard most of their material and can kind of reflect on their past releases and put that into my opinion of this album. The production on Armed with Rage is absolutely explicit. The band knows how a metal record should sound in these modern times, and just to clarify, that sound is old school! Every single instrument is well audible just the way they should be, bass players and drummers, you are going to love this record. Actually it doesn't matter what instrument you play, you don't even need to play, this record is something every thrash fan should experience. But be assured of this: the bass and drums sound incredible! The album keeps on going in the highest gear available throughout the most of the record, only to be smashed by the mid paced opening of Vermin of Fukushima, which is one of the best tracks of the album. But it might be hard for the record to grip onto some listeners as it doesn't really slow down that much. I don't really have a problem with that since I know what kind of party I'm attending here. In spite of that I must say Vermin of Fukushima is like a fresh coat of paint and I welcome it, and hope to hear more material like it in the future.  However some traits from their EP Mental Pollution is missing a bit on Armed with Rage. The EP had a little heavier sound and I simply just love the production on it, it's some of the best sounding records in recent years.

So having listened to that EP since it came out of course made me love it and its sound. And that sound has been altered a bit for Armed with Rage, it is more thrashy and raw now, and I had to give the album a few spins to get used to that (note that it's not a bad thing). Something that has been dialled down is the use of gang shouts in their songs, and the ones that does have them are not as powerful as the ones on Mental Pollution. Just listening to the title track from that EP exhibits the amazing sounding gang shouts which is some of the best I've heard on a record since the classics from the 80's! That brings me on to the vocals, and I am not going to say the singer sounds like this and that vocalist from bands we all know. Why? I've read many reviews doing just that and most often I don't agree with the reviewer. So here is something that is hard to disagree on: Chris "Steel" sounds like Chris "Steel". However he is not your average (dare I say mediocre?) shouting vocalist. He definitely got his own characteristic raw and gritty sound and trademark screams so to speak (perfectly heard on the track Genocidal Gatlin Gunners). But... on previous releases the vocals were more "Chris" (try to play along) a lot of his "trademark" screams and when a song gets going you would be greeted with a "JAAAAOW!" all this is however present in their live renditions of the material from Armed with Rage, but not on the record itself. That and the gang vocals is the only small griefs I got, and be well assured they are small ones, because even though it is early in 2014 as of this review, it will sure rank high on my list of favourite releases from this year!

These days it is pretty hard for new metal bands to stand out, and it's no different for Battery. Looking at their logo, you're not in doubt of what genre they play. Their cover for this release was done by Andrei Bouzikov who is kind of shaping up to be the Ed Repka of our time, at least in my opinion. Many artists get covers done by him, and he does excellent jobs. So what does make Battery stand out? The sheer quality of their releases and this is not different. The album adds amazing songs to their already thrashing catalogue with songs like Vermin of Fukushima, Genocidal Gatlin Gunners, Narcotic Mirage and Armed with Rage. You definitely want to check out the first two by any means, the riffs are instant smashers, you will not regret it! By the way did you notice it said Vermin of Fukushima? In case you've been living under a rock, or simply forgot about it, some years back there was a toxic leak at the Fukushima powerplant and this song is about rats getting mutated by that and starts killing people. A bit silly for some maybe, but overall Battery uses a bit more serious lyrics compared to many new school "eat pizza and drink beer" lyrics, and the band is incredible good lyricists.

Even though the record was delayed because of bad label deals, Punishment 18 Records saved the day and it is a good feeling to finally have a full length from this band. After the recordings they brought on Jökull as guitarist, so it will be interesting to see his contributions on the next album. I think I've summed up pretty well what I think of this record, and if you like it, then you should check out the bands EP Mental Pollution and their demo Nuke, and make sure to get your hands on with tracks such as Ruins of Radiation, Born in a Beaker and The Hazmat Squad, just to mention a few! And if you're a gym-goer I can definitely recommend tearing it up with this album on your playlist. I think I have covered just about every single reason why you should get this album, it will no doubt be a fresh addition to your collection!

Be sure to support the band and follow their steps on Facebook.

Rating

8.6

War Device - The Anger

"The Greek Army's New War Device"


When it comes to Greece and metal I know just about nothing, the only band I know about is Suicidal Angels which I saw back in 2010. But the Greek thrash scene got a brand new contender in the likes of War Device. The band was formed in 2012 in Serres, and this year they released their first piece of material in the likes of "The Anger".

The EP contains five tracks and an intro, and the intro itself was actually surprisingly good. It doesn't have a name so it is simply called "Intro". It is a recording of a guy who goes into his room and listens to some different bands. So throughout the intro you will be warmed up with bands like: D.R.I., Overkill, Megadeth, Sodom, Slayer, Venom and Razor. Note the last band. My favourite thrash band, so I got totally hyped when 'Evil Invaders' started playing. It ends with some radio scrabbling and then breaks into the first track 'Evil, Death and Hell'. From start till finish, not only on this track but the whole album it is just non stop madness. When new thrash bands pop up these days I always fear that they try to re-invent the genre but often end up sound re-cycled. However War Device keep a fresh and aggressive approach the entire time and even take the time to start of the title track with a bass line. I really enjoyed that myself, it is nice with some diversity! The music itself takes roots all the way back to the early eighties and you can definitely hear some Slayer in there from the "Show No Mercy" days, and mix that up with Max Cavalera vocals and you got War Device. The production... oh yes, the production. This shit is not overproduced in any way, the band have gone for a old school sound and they got it. The vocals has also been mixed perfectly for the purpose of this EP.
When I first laid eyes upon the tracklist it first struck my eyes that the band had a cover of Kreator's 'Under the Guillotine', and since I hadn't heard the band before I was really frightened that it would suck. Of course it doesn't, you just have to imagine Max Cavalera in his prime singing a cover of it, because musically it rips and the band got the shit under control!

The cover for this release is nothing special and is without any doubt photoshopped, but not over worked so it looks too shitty. When it comes to EP's I don't really highlight any tracks because it is so short, and since this EP is really good so there's not going to be any problems listening the whole thing through. It will be well worth your time.

With the right amount of promotion this release will without any doubt make a way for War Device and if they manage to follow up with a debut album that contains just as good or even better material then I would say the future is bright for the Greek thrashers. So if you are on the lookout for some new thrash metal that keeps it the way it is supposed to be and filled with good and interesting influences then I will definitely recommend you to check out War Device.

...and you can do just that by catching up with them on Facebook!

Rating

8.5

Kreator - Phantom Antichrist

"Phantom Mainstreamist"


A return to form is what this album should have been. When the title track was released as a single, I bet many Kreator fans was high on excitement, and apparently it stayed that way for many people. But not me, I don't understand all the praise that has been given to this album. The first two times I listened to this album I had to turn it off when I was half way through it. I was really looking forward to Kreator "returning to form" that I pre ordered the album on vinyl, and that is something I really regret.

After the first three tracks, one of them being the intro, the album has already peaked, and from here it goes downhill until the record is done. If you heard the main single of the album, it contains an Iron Maiden cover. Despite a laughable scream in the start of the track the band covers The Number of the Beast quite well. The only problem... That style continued on the full album. I guess Kreator wants people to sing along and wave back and forth because this album feels like a melodic thrash metal tribute to Iron Maiden. There is only two tracks that I would shine some light on from the album, and that is Phantom Antichrist and Death to the World. These two tracks is the only ones I would describe as being worthy of being on a Kreator album. Because the main problem for this album is the band is trying to be something they are not. And when that doesn't ruin the songs, then it is the incredible bad lyrics...

The thing I however want to praise is the album cover. There are two versions, one awesome and one shitty. The awesome cover, which was made by Wes Benscoter who also has been employed by bands like Slayer, Autopsy and Cattle Decapitation. Wes' version of the cover is the red one that could remind you of the artwork for Pleasure to Kill and definitely is their best cover in many, many years. The shitty cover however looks so photoshopped that it hurts, and just doesn't look good. It was made by Jan Meininghaus who also has been working with bands like Falconervane Bolt Thrower.

If you, like me, expected Kreator to return to the tunes of Violent Revolution and Enemy of God, then you are in for a surprise. The phantom that appears on this album is what I would call melodic thrash metal, and a tribute to Iron Maiden. I really want to like this album but it just don't have what it takes. Even though I like some other melodic genres, this one does not please my ears, specially not when it has been kreated by a band that brought me albums like Pleasure to Kill and Extreme Aggression.

Rating

6.2

Destruction - Spiritual Genocide

"Mediocre Genocide"


"The mad butcher have returned" well, if you think cover-wise, yes. Other than that the butcher haven't even been away for two years... So I wouldn't call it a major break. Schmier and Destruction should take a recording break if you ask me. They haven't really bashed out anything memorable in a while, and when I heard the band was releasing Spiritual Genocide, I wasn't really excited. And since the album doesn't even match the predecessor Day of Reckoning, there isn't really much to come after. It seems like the album is a cliché in it self, and the band had sat down together and just said: "All right, let's make a fucking thrashing record. Thrash, thrash, thrash". Repeat, repeat, repeat. Maybe they should have waited until late 2013 or even 2014 to release this album, as it got some pretty good riffs coming at you from time to time. So it's a really shame they kind of just repeat some stuff, and make most of the songs repeatable and what goes for the lyrics... Well: "What is the most precious thing in your life?" 

Overall I don't really know what to recommend you from the album. If you got the limited edition which is the Saxon cover would be a good way to start out as you can never go wrong with some Saxon, and the cover is pretty good. 'Cyanide', 'Spiritual Genocide' and 'Legacy of the Past' can also be heard, and even though those tracks aren't anything special it is the best I have to offer. To be quite honest, I think they should just have released Princess of the Night as a single and wrote some better album material, because this doesn't quite cut it. As it was announced, Tom Angelripper from Sodom and Gerre from Tankard features on the track 'Legacy of the Past' which in it self is an okay track. But Tom and Gerre are not as present as I would like them to be, and that's a damn shame.

Gyula Havancsák from the black metal band Bornholm is the man behind the cover for Spiritual Genocide, and he has been laying down some paint for the band since 2005's Inventor of Evil. Gyula is also the man behind artwork from artists like Annihilator, Grave Digger and Tankard. Schmier also recruited him to do Headhunter's Parasite of Society album cover. And to be honest, the cover for this album ain't too shabby. 

This album is probably only for die hard Destruction fans, as a big thrash enthusiast myself I think there has been released a lot better albums so far this year. Together with Kreator that makes two out of three of the Teutonic thrash bands who has disappointed with a bad release in 2012. Hopefully the next Sodom album won't leave me with an empty feeling that I just wasted my time. If you're getting this album, make sure you get the version with the Saxon cover, because that definitely gives the album a better score. But since Destruction has released better albums, even the year before, there is not really any reason to give this album a lot of attention unless as I said, you're a die hard Destruction fan, and feel like having an overdose of gang shouts.

Rating

6.5

Battery - Mental Pollution

"Disobey..."


Mental Pollution was delayed a couple of times and as a patch on the wound, back then the band released the song Revolt, and already there the difference from the past release to this was clear. When it comes to the vocals, it seems that the band have chosen to dial the mayhem button down a little and the vocals are more easily understood than before. Is this an advantage? That's close to being a question I can't even answer myself. In a way it is an advantage as it kind of makes the bands music more accessible and they kept their aggression from Nuke which is a fortunate thing! The production is probably one of the best I've heard on a thrash metal record in recent years. I can't put a finger on anything regarding the production on this EP, it is simply outstanding and one of the best things about it is the bass. Just take a listen to the title track and you will know exactly what I mean.  But to really sum it up, the better production really gives it a notch, so it not a disaster that the mayhem is more controlled.

Highlights? The EP does not even last 15 minutes, but it will last that and a some more if you play it twice! Every track is memorable. However I would have loved to have the tracks from their Nuke demo on here as well with this mindblowing production. I am not a fan of too many re-recordings though so if they had waited with recording the tracks from that session 'till this... Damn, some debut album that would have been!

The next step for Battery would indeed be a debut album. With a good label and an appropriate amount of promotion, Battery could be the right band at the time. Hopefully they won't take a bunch of their previous demo songs and re-record, like some bands do. Even though I would love the Nuke tracks with the Mental Pollution production, but it's gritty, raw underground sound will do! From the break of the war sirens in The Hazmat Squad to the abruptly ending in the title track, this EP is a spine breaking piece of work that is well worth the penny, hopefully they will keep it up in the future and rise to the top of the resurrected "popularity" of thrash metal.

Rating

9