D.R.I.

Psychosomatic – The Invisible Prison Review

Psychosomatic – The Invisible Prison Review

“It feels like only yesterday when you all hated me for giving such high praise to Crisix’s 2018 release, Against the Odds. I understand that everyone thinks Power Trip is god and everyone is getting tired of the Havok/Warbringer sound, so thrash is getting more and more difficult to get into these days. Thrash, with a modern touch, is even harder as it all seems to sound rehashed and repetitive. I’m not sorry I love the fun and upbeat character of Crisix. I’m not sorry ‘Perseverance’ and ‘Xenomorph Blood’ make me lose my shit. I’m not sorry Against the Odds made my list that year. I’m not sorry for my love of thrash. I’m not sorry for having such an exquisite taste. I’m not sorry for anything. OK… I am sorry you’re so dead inside that you can’t enjoy fun things. I’m also sorry for this: thrash veterans Psychosomatic and their newest release, The Invisible Prison.” No regrats.

Collision – The Final Kill Review

Collision – The Final Kill Review

“Normally we don’t review “mini-albums” here, but Collision’s The Final Kill thankfully slipped past the watchful eyes of the promo bin cadaver hounds – I suppose they were kept busy. The reason I decided to run headlong into this is because this is the Dutch band’s final release. I reviewed their oddly named Satanic Surgery a few years ago and didn’t give it a great score – or, honestly, even an okay one. Since we’re all stuck inside anyway, I figured why not shack up with The Final Kill, see the end of a movie that I started watching more than three-quarters through yet somehow found myself invested in.” Plagues make strange bedfellows.

Toxic Holocaust – Primal Future: 2019 Review

Toxic Holocaust – Primal Future: 2019 Review

“Thrash has evolved into many things over its nearly 40 year existence, from primitive, crude beginnings to insanely fast, shockingly technical and surprisingly melodic forms. There’s something to be said for all these various shades, but for old timers like me, thrash is always best served raw, and rowdy with a side of cheap beer and a spiked leather fist upside the head. That’s where Toxic Holocaust lives, down in the slime with early acts like Sodom and the long forgotten NME.” Blast to the future.

Gorilla Wizard – Tales From the Cauldron Review

Gorilla Wizard – Tales From the Cauldron Review

“Long Island, New York is a strange place. Geographically speaking it’s the penis of the Empire State, and essentially a vast, sprawling suburb for New York City that runs from the rough n’ tumble boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens through the tony Hamptons and on to the picturesque Montauk lighthouse. Though city adjacent, it has a culture and vibe all its own. Think of a tense middle ground between The Jersey Shore and Goodfellas and you’re in the right zip code. It’s a place of rowdy attitude and stubborn pride, as depicted in the various lyrics by favorite son Billy Joel, and it’s not for everyone. But hey, if you don’t like it, you can fuck off back to whatever garbage town you crawled out of. From this raucous suburban jungle comes the silverback charmers in Gorilla Wizard as they peddle their unruly take on riffy stoner/sludge metal.” Professor Ape.

M.O.D. – Busted, Broke & American Review

M.O.D. – Busted, Broke & American Review

“Billy Milano is 53. Let that sink in a while. If you grew up worshiping S.O.D. and his later offshoot act, M.O.D., or had the pleasure of being annihilated by him in the mosh pits of L’Amour Brooklyn, it’s almost impossible to imagine the man as anything but the loud mouth, barrel chested bruiser he was back in the 80s and 90s. We all grow up though. We all get older, change and evolve. All except Billy, that is.” Hardcore is a lifestyle choice.

Municipal Waste – Slime and Punishment Review

Municipal Waste – Slime and Punishment Review

“Take a look at this Donald Trump inspired t-shirt released in early 2016. That was the first time that I had heard of Virginia’s crossover-thrash outfit Municipal Waste since their 2012 solid, but uninspired album The Fatal Feast (Waste in Space). While they released a couple of splits and EPs during the four years in-between, it was that stunt—a year later apparently more relevant than ever—that brought the (metal) public’s spotlight back on them.” Under new waste management.

Bat – Wings of Chains Review

Bat – Wings of Chains Review

“Once upon a time there was a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Today we get Wings of Chains by Bat, and they too bring the sound and fury, but in their case it definitely signifies something. That something being rowdy, sloppy and ill-tempered speed metal guaranteed to make old timers grin in gruesomely gap-toothed glee.” Break these chains of…wings?

Collision – Satanic Surgery Review

Collision – Satanic Surgery Review

“Sometimes I feel like a wine critic. Not because I spit booze into a bucket like a drunken ibex and pretend it’s a real job when I write about it, but because I’m describing what I hear and then telling you good folks about how my “palate” reacts to it. Although it would be substantially easier to just sniff, taste or write “a bold 90s flavour, Good/5.0” and call it a day, this metal gig actually lets me reference hamburgers, beer, and philosophy at a frankly ludicrous frequency so I can confidently say I made the right choice. With that in mind I’ve taken many sips from the boxed Merlot of Dutch thrashcore merchants Collision’s fifth full-length Satanic Surgery, and much like a baffled wine critic (Diabolus in Vino?) I had one Hell of a time figuring out why it tasted funny.” Time for speed tasting!