Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and sometimes a rendering of a spaceship violently crashing into a planet is just a really good excuse to nab an album to review. And while I won’t be asking Dr. Freud to psychoanalyze why I find a rocket penetrating the depths of a celestial body so captivating, I can attest that it certainly grabbed my attention. Besides, that potent mix of quality album art and genre tag should be more than enough reason to pick a promo. So it was with the debut album from Seattle crossover thrash outfit Colony Drop. With the cover evoking equal parts Pyromania by Def Leppard and Silver Age comic books, the art alone was enough to convince me. Add to that the promise of no-holds-barred, sci-fi-tinged thrash, and how could I possibly say no? Don’t threaten me with a good time, Dr. Freud.
According to Colony Drop’s Bandcamp page, the band’s motto is “High Speed, Twin Lead.” This isn’t just a promise that gets my heart all aflutter; it’s also an honest declaration. Time and time again, you’ll hear this maxim take mighty musical form on Brace for Impact, often to crushing effect. The fact that it’s all delivered amidst the turmoil of sneering, crossover thrash and bolstered by riff after chunky riff makes Colony Drop’s impact that much more potent. And while they accurately invoke bands like Power Trip and Black Breath in their “for fans of” section, I can’t in good conscience end this paragraph without mentioning Gama Bomb. Or more importantly, their vocals. While frontman Joseph Schafer’s shouts ‘n grows sound nothing like the near croons of GB’s Philly Byrne, the sheer amount of fun they’re both having comes across loud and clear, and it’s this unique ingredient that contributes mightily to the success of Brace for Impact.
Schafer’s mad carnival barker approach roars to life on album opener “Colony Drop (Brace for Impact).” These vocal maneuvers support this 80s-infused tune, overflowing as it is with fun riffing and an infectious chorus. You can’t go wrong with following up “Remade” either, as it doles out even more beefy riffs, doses of groove, and leans heavily into the lunatic ringmaster vox. Things chug along nicely, with some big, explosive dual solos, more neck-splintering, crossover riffage, and no shortage of a ” litany of sci-fi nightmares” (once again from their Bandcamp). And then we hit “Heartfelt,” one of those mid-album interludes that always feels out of place. Except this one doesn’t. Acoustic, emotive, and brief, this little ditty is a deftly-performed palate cleanser, ensconced as it is between massive walls o’ thrash.
What is Colony Drop up to here? Because after multiple listens, it certainly feels like they’re not looking to fill a singular role. Instead, it seems like these Washingtonians are more interested in pursuing a career as the musical equivalent of a particularly troublesome bout of cognitive dissonance. Their lyrics can be both over-the-top and proudly tongue-in-cheek, while also thoughtfully decrying the very real dehumanization that results from unrestrained technology. They can be both straightforward, crossover chuggers as well as technical, prog-adjacent wizards. They can deliver both soulful acoustics and ominous interludes alongside rip-roaring party fuel and chest-thumping riffs. I’m not sure there’s an answer, and maybe that’s okay. At any rate, “Patient Xero” is probably my favorite of this dirty (near) dozen, introducing unexpected blackened snarls and deathened growls, both of which add to the warring yet complementary approaches that make up Colony Drop’s sound. Album closer “(MS-07) The Gouf” is not just a reference to a mech from the show Mobile Suit: Gundam (thanks Google) but a showstopper of a closer that features a slower, thicker main riff, gang chants, and the amazing lyric “5 barrel machine gun hand/locked and loaded for the final stand!”
Brace for Impact is good. Perhaps surprisingly good, considering how so many other modern thrash acts are still busy rehashing whatever came out in 1984. There are certainly issues: when not reigned in by the instrumentation, the vocals can sometimes take on an elongated, grating quality, perhaps most notably on “Supplicant.” And there are hints here and there of odd transitions and abrupt cuts. But none of that can take away from what Colony Drop have accomplished on their very first outing by delivering a fun, oddly poignant, playfully erratic sci-fi crossover album with plenty of replay value. Take Brace for Impact for a spin or two, just please try to avoid any populated star systems.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Nameless Grave Records
Websites: colonydropband.bandcamp.com | instagram.com/colonydropthrash
Releases Worldwide: August 25th, 2023
