Thrash Metal

Things You Might Have Missed 2014: Striker – City of Gold

Things You Might Have Missed 2014: Striker – City of Gold

By Diabolus in Muzaka on January 14, 2015 in Canadian Metal, Heavy Metal, Napalm Records, Things You Might Have Missed 2014, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, 17 comments

“I’ll fully admit that I have a soft spot for fun in my metal. After all, a man can only listen to Ulcerate growl about entropy, Triptykon purging Tom G.’s demons, and Kvarforth whining about how long it took him to clean out his bathtub after his fateful promo video (I don’t speak Swedish, so this is conjecture) so much, and even though I greatly enjoy all of those artists and listen to their great work regularly, sometimes a change of pace is needed. Enter Alberta’s Striker, and their excellent third album City of Gold.” For the record, bathtubs are a real pain in the arse to clean.

The Crown – Death Is Not Dead

The Crown – Death Is Not Dead

By Dr. A.N. Grier on January 11, 2015 in 2015, Century Media, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 48 comments

“Honestly, I haven’t been excited for a new release from The Crown in a long time. For one, the quality of their releases has slowly declined since their epic Hell Is Here debut back in 1999.” These cats have an uneven history with more than their share of lineup issues, but they’re back and we have opinions (and some of them are silly).

Sylosis – Dormant Heart Review

Sylosis – Dormant Heart Review

By El Cuervo on January 9, 2015 in 2015, English Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Thrash Metal, 30 comments

“Sylosis have been one of the few bands bridging ‘popular,’ festival-headlining, metal with self-proclaimed high-brow or underground metal in recent years. You’re just as likely to encounter flat-cap toting hipster types as you are long-haired, neck-bearded ‘purists’ in the crowds of one of their gigs.” The state of modern metalcore isn’t great, but these blokes look to change all that, or distance themselves from it.

Things You Might Have Missed 2014: Black Anvil – Hail Death

Things You Might Have Missed 2014: Black Anvil – Hail Death

By Mark Z. on December 24, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Relapse, Things You Might Have Missed 2014, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 4 comments

“Three years ago at a Krallice show in New York, a band named Black Anvil took stage, struck an immense wall-shaking chord, and immediately captivated my unsuspecting ears with their hefty, head-crushing riffs. Unlike the post-progressive-neo-sludge-blueberry muffin-whatever I expected to accompany Krallice, Black Anvil was firmly grounded in the primal forms of extreme metal, somehow combining black, death, thrash, and doom without sounding like they’d spent the last decade huffing rubber cement and playing Celtic Frost records backwards.” Holidays go better with rubber cement huffing.

Career-Retrospective: Razor

Career-Retrospective: Razor

By Steel Druhm on November 29, 2014 in Blog Posts, Canadian Metal, Career Retrospective, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 30 comments

“Let’s shake things up a bit, shall we? Since some bands have multiple albums deserving of the Retro-spective treatment, why not give those few, those happy few, a more inclusive career retrospective. First up on the block is criminally underrated, serially overlooked Canadian thrashers, Razor. To handle this piece of historical research, I’ve enlisted the other primary source here at AMG, my fellow geezer, Al Kikuras, who also grew up admiring these speedsters from the Great White North.” Old dudes talking about old music. It’s like NPR with more leather.

Entrench – Violent Procreation Review

Entrench – Violent Procreation Review

By Jean-Luc Ricard on November 26, 2014 in 2014, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Thrash Metal, War Anthem Records, Thrash Metal, 17 comments

“I got a bit sidetracked while writing this review trying to chart the rise of rethrash (thanks Encyclopaedia Metallum!). Since 2003, the proportion of thrash albums to all metal albums released per year has, perhaps surprisingly, stayed constant at around 16%. However, the proportion of new thrash bands to new metal bands forming per year (going back to 1995) peaked at 23% in 2006, and had shrunk to 14% last year. Entrench formed just prior to peak thrash in 2005, releasing a string of demos before unleashing their debut full length, Inevitable Decay, in 2011. What can my thrashnalysis tell us about their music? Fuck all really, but it’s some pretty good trivia, eh?” When the numbers geeks get into the metal review business, you get thrashnalysis. Just go with it and take copious notes.

Retro-spective Review: Powermad – Absolute Power

Retro-spective Review: Powermad – Absolute Power

By Steel Druhm on November 13, 2014 in American Metal, Retro Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 17 comments

“The third and fourth waves of thrash washing ashore in the late 80s and early 90s saw their share of dead fish and used condoms. But even amongst that flotsam were a few hidden gems that had they arrived a few years earlier might have been regarded as genre classics. Powermad’s sole full-length was one of those ill-timed pieces of precious driftwood. Absolute Power was a slick, surprisingly mature debut loaded with high level progressive playing and even higher writing standards.” Avoid Coney Island whitefish, but don’t avoid this forgotten treasure.

Short Sharp Shock – Limp.Gasp.Collapse Review

Short Sharp Shock – Limp.Gasp.Collapse Review

By Madam X on November 7, 2014 in 2014, Crust Punk, English Metal, Grind, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Grind, Thrash Metal, 5 comments

“Short Sharp Shock (SSS) have been around peddling their brand of old school 80s era crossover thrash since the release of their self titled EP and similarly titled full length back in 2006. Their latest hilariously titled foray wasn’t even a blip on my radar, but with a title like Limp.Gasp.Collapse, how could I resist checking it out?” 80s crossover is a grave you best open very cautiously.