Exodus

Kill the King – Kill the King Review

Kill the King – Kill the King Review

“Emerging as an underdog in the budding Indian metal scene, upstart thrashers Kill the King come armed and ready to unleash a self-titled, self-released debut thrash platter. Formed in 2016, Kill the King have done the hard yards toiling in the underground, sharpening their tools in readiness for the five-piece outfit to put their skills to practice and rumble with the big dogs of the modern thrash scene. It certainly isn’t easy to stand out in the crowded field of modern thrash, a scene that splinters off into various offshoots such as retro thrash, blackened thrash, death-thrash and modern thrash territory.” Rabid Regicide.

War Curse – Confession Review

War Curse – Confession Review

“I’d be lying if War Curse’s new offering didn’t take me aback. It is so different from anything they’ve done before that it took me a few spins to grasp. Like many bands before them, Confession will either be a stroke of genius or their weakest album.” Curse of evolution.

Nervosa – Jailbreak Review

Nervosa – Jailbreak Review

“For all the hype, Nervosa has never blown me away. With each release, I hope for that breakout record that’ll drop me to my knees, but instead, they’ve established a catalog of solid releases with a handful of stellar pieces. For a minute, I was intrigued by the release of 2021’s Perpetual Chaos because the band picked up a new vocalist. In doing so, I hoped that it would be that great album, but it never panned out. This time around, founding guitarist Prika Amaral takes to the stage and lends her growls and barks to Jailbreak.” Jailbait.

Vendetta – Black as Coal Review

Vendetta – Black as Coal Review

“While the other German thrash bands of the time were branching out into their unique sounds, Vendetta rooted themselves in a Bay Area sound akin to Metallica. And like old-school Metallica, what made those albums great was Klaus Ullrich’s impressive bass presence. Brain Damage, in particular, is a concise record with ripping guitar work, impressive Steve DiGiorgio-level bass work, and the quirky but lovable vocals of Daxx Hömerlein. Fast forward to 2007, and the band is back. Ullrich surrounded himself with a new lineup for that year’s comeback record, Hate. Since then, Vendetta has been cranking out albums, but none have been the comeback we wanted. That said, they have the chops to create something great. Will it be Black as Coal?” Back for wengeance.

Mezzrow – Summon Thy Demons Review

Mezzrow – Summon Thy Demons Review

“Another rando and another band I should already know but don’t. Mezzrow has been around since the late ’80s, trying to bring America’s brand of thrash to the halls o’ Sweden. For various reasons—issues with their label and losing band member after band member—all that came out of their struggles was 1990’s Then Came the Killing. A ’91 demo later, and Mezzrow was no more. Fast forward sixteen years, and the band reforms for a live performance. Their small but passionate fanbase was excite. Would Mezzrow record a new album?” Not Merzbow.

Children of the Reptile – Heavy Is the Head Review

Children of the Reptile – Heavy Is the Head Review

“Like me, you probably haven’t heard of North Carolina’s Children of the Reptile. But we are going to fix that today. Because you should listen to them and their third LP, Heavy Is the Head. Despite the endless possibilities of poking fun at that album title, I’ve had too much fun with the record for petty dick jokes. Though back-catalog gems like ‘Good Times Orc,’ ‘Master of the Forge,’ ‘Cro-Magnon Combat,’ and ‘Halls of the Skeleton Lord’ would suggest Children of the Reptile are another budding power metal outfit, they are not.” Snake no mistake.

Trastorned – Into the Void Review

Trastorned – Into the Void Review

“Wheat dies fast; chaff lives on forever. What that means for thrash, I don’t know, because that genre will relive the good ole days until the barn burns down. I also don’t know what that means for Trastorned. The Chilean quartet have spent 15 years working out the perfect homage to the genre with their debut, Into the Void. It’s mean. It’s fast. It sounds exactly how you want it to sound. But those three points mean little these days, and it will take so much more for these thrashers to survive the thresher.” Harvest tunes.

Trauma – Awakening Review

Trauma – Awakening Review

“Founding drummer Kris Gustofson is back with the band’s recent guitar duo, ex-Testament powerhouse Greg Christian, and little-known Brian Allen (ex-Vicious Rumors and the like). And together, these old boys bring the heat. More than any other album in their catalog, Awakening is a true thrasher. While Allen still sports classic high-ends made popular by Hillier, Anthrax, Heretic, and Metal Church, he can also throw down some Zetro Souza-isms and monstrous growls. Awakening sees the band traverse unfamiliar waters that might or might not fracture their fanbase. But this new record feels like the comeback we’ve always longed to hear.” Past Trauma present.

Intent – Exile Review

Intent – Exile Review

“I love to hear a band adjust their sound slightly and deliver a better product than the previous record. Vox Populi is utterly unmemorable. So, when I grabbed the thrashy Exile, I was concerned. But seconds into the opener, ‘Victims of Conquest,’ all doubt faded.” Vicious Intent.

Anvil – Impact Is Imminent Review

Anvil – Impact Is Imminent Review

“O’ Canada, guess who’s back? Good ol’ Anvil, with their ninety-eighth full-length album. And look at this: another writer penning an Anvil review. Once you’ve reviewed Anvil, you can’t get yourself to do it again. It’s only been two years since their last release (which is about the same as all their albums), and there’s no sign of stopping this Canadian threesome—even if you want them to stop. But, no, they keep coming with a sound they helped to cement 40 years ago. But, while you all might think their sound is irrelevant, Anvil sure as hell doesn’t care.” Danger: Falling Anvil.