Gomorra are a heavy metal band from Switzerland and this is their second album.
Featuring members of Comaniac and Destruction, Gomorra combine heavy, thrash, and power metal into 49 minutes of well-executed music. Continue reading “Gomorra – Dealer of Souls (Review)”
This is the debut album from Swedish thrashers Ominum.
Featuring members of Sonic Assault, Monument contains 56 minutes of face ripping thrash metal. Ominum operate on the heavier end of the thrash spectrum, with an emphasis on crushing guitars, harsh vocals, and biting extremity, but without stepping too far into extreme metal waters. Continue reading “Ominum – Monument (Review)”
This is the debut album from Void Vator, a heavy metal band from the US.
Great Fear Rising is a modern take on a very old style. Void Vator play old-school heavy metal; it’s presented with a modern recording and delivery, but this is mainly a product of the 80s, make no mistake. Continue reading “Void Vator – Great Fear Rising (Review)”
Veil of Deception are a metal band from Austria. This is their third album.
This is the follow up to 2015’s Tearing up the Roots, and offers 48 minutes of metallic anthems and energetic riffs. Continue reading “Veil of Deception – Dissident Voices (Review)”
This is the fourth album from Belgian dark metal/rock band Diablo Blvd.
Just take a look at that album cover. I mean, how could you not be intrigued by that?
When you delve in, you’ll find that Diablo Blvd play a mix of classic and Continue reading “Diablo Blvd – Zero Hour (Review)”
Panikk are a thrash metal band from Slovenia and this is their second album.
Panikk play old-school thrash metal influenced by the US scene. Fans of Anthrax, Forbidden, Exodus, etc. should lap this up. Continue reading “Panikk – Discarded Existence (Review)”
Crisix are a Spanish Thrash Metal band and this is their third album.
This is an endearing mixture of old-school Thrash and modern know-how. It’s fun without being stupid and authentic without being retro nonsense. I approve!
The album boasts a strong production that’s crisp and clear, lending the songs a sharp edge and professional veneer.
The singer grunts, groans, shrieks and screams his throat hoarse throughout these 39 minutes. Alongside a plethora of backing and gang vocals, he provides an energetic performance and one can’t help but wonder if he survived the recording process with his sanity intact.
As would be expected from the style, solos and leads are tossed around like they’re going out of fashion, alongside so many punchy riffs you could knock someone out with them. With some minor movie and Hardcore influences too, there’s a lot of catchy material here.
There’s a lot of enjoyment to be had on From Blue to Black, especially if you like early Anthrax and Pantera and always wondered what it might sound like if they collaborated on a Thrash Metal sideband. It probably wouldn’t sound too far off how this does.
Very enjoyable. Check this out.
Veil of Deception are a Metal band from Austria. This is their second album.
This is Groove Metal with a Thrash edge, in the vein of Pantera, Sevendust, Breed 77 and mid-phase Anthrax, mixed with a bit of an Alternative Metal approach.
Heavy riffs and lighter leads form the bedrock of the band’s sound. Their approach is a little different to the average Groove Metal band though, eschewing the more Modern Metal approach and instead incorporating elements of Classic and Heavy Metal into their sound.
The singer is a great example of this – he has a cleaner, more Heavy Metal style than you’d probably expect from a band of this ilk. It adds an authentic edge to the music, as well as a good Rock sensibility on occasion.
Well, this is quite an unexpected turn of events. There I was, expecting Metalcore, (based on the cover, logo and band description), when what I actually got has more in common with 90s Alternative Metal than 00s Metalcore. It’s a welcome change of pace and the band are to be commended for not taking a more obvious route with their style.
This doesn’t mean there aren’t any issues with Tearing up the Roots; overall the songs are enjoyable slabs of Metal, but the songwriting could do with a bit of tightening up in places.
All in all, this is an enjoyable release though; one that makes me feel a bit nostalgic in places too. Not many bands play this kind of thing any more, as it’s too Classic Metal for the Modern Metal crowds and too groove-laden for the Classic Metal crowds. It’s an interesting release and it certainly gets better with repeated spins as the riffs, melodies and vocals work themselves into your brain.
Not bad at all. Check it out.
www.veilofdeception.com
www.facebook.com/veilofdeception
Dissident are a Thrash Metal band from Chile. This is their début album.
This is riff-heavy Thrash Metal modelled on the Old-School style and dripping with the essence of the Bay Area scene from back in the day.
In many ways these songs are all about the guitars and what they get up to – not in some form of ultra-impressive technical insanity, but rather it’s all about the riffs and the feelings the evoke. I mean, how can you not want to just bang your head and fists when listening to this?
And they sound good too, production-wise; here we have a band that have a good recording from the off – everything balanced and nicely ripping. Solos and leads are bountiful, seemingly shredded out with ease. We mustn’t neglect the drums though – these are solid and do exactly what’s required of them.
After the love that the guitars and riffs get in all of the songwriting, it’s almost as if the vocals have been included merely for completion’s sake. They’re performed adequately in a style reminiscent of old, old Anthrax, and I think once the singer develops a little more force and charisma then they’ll really come into their own.
This album rips along nicely for 46 minutes and reminds the listener that some bands are still capable of Hellishly good Thrash riffs.
Check them out and see what you think.
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dissidentchile
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dissident.chile
This is the second album by US Thrash Metal band To the Pain.
This is a short release – 6 songs in just under 27 minutes – featuring Bay Area-style Thrash and a fantastically-titled closing song Don’t Eat the Eyes. (I felt compelled to point that out).
The Metallica/Anthrax/Testament inspired songs are a real throwback to decades past and in all honesty it really, really works. It may be resolutely Old-School but it’s not a Retro release or any such nonsense – this is a real band playing real Thrash and doing it very well.
I enjoyed their début album, (which was one of my earliest reviews), but I can’t help but notice the strides forward that the band have made in the intervening years. 7 has seen them make advances in every area, from sound to songwriting to delivery; the entire thing sounds more confident and assured. The songs are better and this is a real Thrash Metal feast.
The singer’s voice has improved along with the rest of the band and he too sounds more confident in his role. He has settled into his job with ease and seems to have no problem infusing his performance with character and charisma.
But where’s the rest of the album? I feel like there are another two or three tracks missing. Some bands easily put out too many songs and you can lose attention, but 7 is the opposite and is over before you know it. Maybe it’s better this way though, as it certainly leaves you salivating and hungry for more.
Well, recently I’ve stated, quite a few times actually, that I feel a bit jaded with Thrash Metal. However, there have been a plethora of recent releases that are making me rethink this and To the Pain’s newest is another. 7 is a winner for me. Check it out.
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