Exodus

Harlott – Detritus of the Final Age Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on November 12, 2020 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 10 comments

“As I mentioned when I wrote 2017’s Extinction review, Harlott isn’t afraid to show love to their influences. Some might say Harlott isn’t afraid of reaching into that box of thrash classics and taking what they like, as well. At any given time, the riffs transition from Exodus to Slayer to Testament, and the vocals mimic Araya, Petrozza, and Dukes/Souza. The guitars can be acoustic at times but prefer to be heavy. The drums blast and fill with no regard for concrete floors, and the bass rattles hardware off the garage door. Harlott may not have a whole lot in the way of originality, but that doesn’t make their fourth album, Detritus of the Final Age, any less solid and nothing short of nostalgic.” Ramming speed.

Psychosomatic – The Invisible Prison Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on September 6, 2020 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 6 comments

“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.

Bear Mace – Charred Field of Slaughter Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on August 13, 2020 in Reviews, Death Metal, 52 comments

“Yet, the success of a musician is only measured by one’s support and their growth in the field. Green Carnation’s Tchort has proved his worth and Bear Mace’s Sugar has done the same. Bear Mace’s newest release, Charred Field of Slaughter, is that proof. You want to know what a man can do with a guitar, with killer bass and solo partners, with one of the genre’s nastiest vocalists, and nearly forty years of death metal boiling through one’s head? Witness.” Bears, beets, burly death metal.

Surgical Strike – Part of a Sick World Review

By Holdeneye on January 21, 2020 in 2020, German Metal, Metalville, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 42 comments

“Surgical Strike had its beginnings in 1993 and put out a couple of demos before going on hiatus for nearly twenty years. Reforming in 2014 with vocalist Jens Albert as the lone link to its past, the band released an EP in 2016 and now present their first official entry into the German thrash canon. And a solid entry it is.” Speed sickens.

Svarttjern – Shame Is Just a Word Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on January 19, 2020 in 2020, Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Soulseller Records, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Thrash Metal, 17 comments

“The moon is full, the candles in my bedroom are flickering, and the neighborhood feels like it’s burning to the ground. The sirens scream up and down the street, the homeless behind the dumpster are cursing at each other, and the drug dealers in next door’s complex are firing warning shots into the air. My bartending friends say the place is overcome by angry, aggressive creeps. And my colleagues at the psychiatric ward say the patients are howling at the moon. It’s like a re-imagining of Carrie, minus everyone’s favorite whipping ~~boy~~girl. Yet, it’s a perfect night for the chaos that pours from my speakers.” Blackness in the night.

Mortuary – The Autophagous Reign Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on November 18, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, French Metal, Reviews, Xenokorp Records, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 6 comments

“A rye and ginger made in subtly wrong ways is, after many listens, how I’ve come to view Mortuary’s latest record, The Autophagous Reign. I rated highly its predecessor, Nothingless than Nothingness — a rating I stand by. Both are the same in the sense that this or that rye and ginger are the same. But as we all know, not all rye and gingers are created equal, even if we use the same rye and ginger-ale.” Drinking with the dead.

Dissorted – The Final Divide Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on November 2, 2019 in 2019, Black Sunset Records, German Metal, MDD Records, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 14 comments

“What am I supposed to do if I can’t look at a band’s country of origin and judge them accordingly? What the fuck am I supposed to do as a reviewer if I can’t take one of my Sodom reviews, copy-and-paste it into the blog, and change the band name and album title? Don’t worry, dear reader. It’s no problem. I’ll, instead, steal some adjectives from Steel‘s Death Angel reviews and verbiage from AMG‘s Iced Earth ones to pen my writeup of The Final Divide. That’ll work.” Plague of plagiarism.

Detraktor – Grinder Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on September 23, 2019 in 2019, German Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Violent Creek Records, Groove Metal, Thrash Metal, 21 comments

“Brewing a good cup of nostalgia is a delicate art. Being merely reminded of something—akin to South Park’s “Memberberries”—is fleeting and while the first sip is fine, the rest of the cup proves to be bland or even distasteful. The quality mixed with the aesthetic is what makes nostalgic stuff satisfying. It’s not enough to make a game that looks like Contra if it doesn’t play like Contra or perhaps even better.” Speed re-kills.

Repent – Condemned to Fail Review

By Saunders on August 16, 2019 in 2019, German Metal, High Roller Records, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 9 comments

“As I recently noted on my Suicidal Angels review, thrash in 2019 has thrown up some strong albums, without delivering anything particularly unique or earth shattering. Yet there’s been enough quality to renew my faith and enthusiastically plunge into another thrash platter, this time courtesy an unfamiliar but apparently long running German act by the name of Repent. Condemned to Fail marks the band’s fourth LP and first since 2012.” Failing and flailing.

Suicidal Angels – Years of Aggression Review

By Saunders on August 8, 2019 in 2019, Greek Metal, NoiseArt Records, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 61 comments

The dusty plains of the 2018 thrash scene is a distant memory as we plunge forward with scary rapidness to the pointy end of the year. Thrash hasn’t exactly set the metal scene ablaze in 2019, however there’s at least been a string of solid and noteworthy thrash platters. Greek stalwarts Suicidal Angels return with another retro inspired batch of thrash anthems on seventh album, Years of Aggression.” Decades of aggression.