Regicide are from the US and this is their début album. They play Thrash Metal.
This is Thrash Metal mixed with a bit of New Wave of American Heavy Metal, resulting in energetic Thrash that’s largely Old-School but has a touch of modernity to it to give a little bit of an edge.
The songs are simple Thrashers played with a clear passion for the genre. The band recreate the old feelings with ease and this could easily be an album that has simply been lost to the mists of time and recently uncovered.
The songs are well-written and are obviously a labour of love for the band. They work well and have a youthful vigour to them, speaking of earlier Metal times and simpler Metal pleasures.
The singer’s voice is halfway between clean and gruff, sometimes changing between the two types and sometimes occupying the middle ground.
The recording is earthy and a bit muted, but it gets across the message of the band. I can’t help but feel it would have benefited from a stronger sound to give it more presence and forceful impact though, as sometimes it seems as if the songs are being smothered by the production.
Sound issues notwithstanding, this is a good album that has a lot to offer Thrash Metal fans.
Expenzer’s début album Kill the Conductor is a no nonsense, no frills Thrash album that hits the spot. Their vocalist Tom gave us some more information on the band…
For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!
We are Expenzer, a 5-piece Thrash Metal band from Switzerland. We create Metal that is alive and evolving. Formed in 2014 we just released our début album “Kill The Conductor”.
Give us a bit of history to Expenzer
All members of the band played together in various combinations on projects and have a long history together. I (Tom; Vocals) joined the the four guys (Jeff and Sean: Guitars; Reto: Drums; Lou: Bass) who just played their last gig with their old band Pigskin that existed for about 18 years. They looked for a new singer to restart the band, and it felt right from the beginning. But it was a different thing, so we decided to change the name too. With the focus on all our individual strengths, we created a monster that just tasted its first fresh blood…
Where did the band name come from?
We wanted to call the band Bud Spencer (hehe) … but then we thought it was a bit to lame just to steal a name…. I mean you have to live with that then….but we liked the sound of the words, so we came up with Expenzer. It means nothing, just sounds cool and we are in good company with the EX- at the beginning…
What are your influences?
The spirit of the untamed Thrash Metal. All dudes in the band are very into stuff like The Haunted or Testament, Pantera, Darkane… just bands who took this kind of music and put their stamp on it. We all are not bound to a certain style and there would be so much you could miss if you just focus on a genre, but with Expenzer we want to make music that we are rooted in, that’s our homebase.
What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?
Oh man…this could fill a double page…I worked for a long time in a CD store and still talk about bands without end… I just check my albums, ah here..
Sadus 2006 Album Out For Blood (A pissed off singer & the coolest bassplayer and a super weird/angry production ).
Anacrusis 1991 Manic Impressions ( Visionary music, still ahead of it’s time.)
Non Human Level 2005 Self titled: ( project of Darkane, Meshuggah and Devin Townsend Band musicians…you get the point)
and some newer cool shit:
Alkaloid 2015 – The Malkuth Grimoire ( Death Metal in the spirit of Gojira, no blinders here.)
Gorod 2012 A Perfect Absolution ( So much music to discover on this; songs, not just riffs.)
Zatokrev 2015 Silk Spiders Underwater ( A Swiss Band, heavy as fuck, Neurosis-like)
And always every Overkill Album….
What’s your favourite song on your new album and why?
I think our album works the best, as a whole. Each song fulfils its purpose in the order we’ve put it on. We just rehearsed today and “Play for the Deaf”, fourth song on the record, just feels awesome to play live. I look forward to every part of the song, it flows and kicks you in the teeth at the right times. Tomorrow I’ll maybe say the same thing about another song, I love them all…
What are the subjects/themes of the songs on this album?
Most of the time I try to put the music into words. I like Metal Songs who sound like Monster Movie Titles, “A Dying T-Rex”, “Lightspeed Heartbeat” or “The Silence of The Amps”, just come to mind over a certain riff, then I write the lyrics around it. I don’t have a concept or a defined message, I just paint bloody pictures over killer riffs….
Give us a bit of information on your songwriting process.
On “Kill The Conductor” Jeff wrote most of the stuff. 3 Songs came from Sean and 1 from Lou. We all work on songs by ourselves, we can trust each other that no bullshit will come through, and if so we are vocal and open about it. I get the instrumental version of the song and, as mentioned , try to support the riffs and rhythms and give the ugly baby a name….
How do you see your songs/direction developing in the future?
I think you can’t make plans on that. I have a vision for the new stuff, but so have the other four guys in the band. So our goal is to combine the strength of everybody, to create the best we can at that moment in time.
What’s next for Expenzer?
Play gigs as often as we can, record the next album and have fun playing exactly what we want and know what that is.
Nightbreed are a Greek Thrash Metal band and this is their début album.
This is aggressive Old-School Thrash Metal in the style of Kreator and Exodus. It’s ugly, raw and not for the weak.
This is not for Retro-Thrash fans, nor is it for modern Thrashers who are used to huge, gleaming productions. This is for people who like the original Speed Metal template and are quite happy listening to a band who sound like they recorded this in the 80s and then sat on it for a few decades.
The singer has the right kind of angry snarl for the style. He seems to ride the riffs on waves of attitude and never misses an opportunity to add a belligerent edge to his voice.
The music is fast and furious. Solos are included, obviously, and these are well-played and most enjoyable. The riffs seem to lash out like barbed tentacles. The drumming is a relentless pounding that seems to only let up as the songs die off.
The songs blur by in a fit of rebellious fists, spikes and horror. The attitude and style is palpably Thrash Metal and the band don’t lack for presence.
If you’re looking for Thrash Metal that’s true to the original aggressive style then look no further and check out Nightbreed.
Carnivora are from the US and this is their latest EP. They play Modern Melodic Death Metal.
This new 18 minute EP showcases Carnivora’s blend of Modern Death Metal and Groove Metal to good effect.
Carnivora’s début album Eternal was a great listen, and this latest release cements their up-and-coming status in the modern heavy music scene.
They successfully mix brutality and melody, without sacrificing either; kind of like an (older) In Flames meets Lamb of God meets Death Metal sexiness.
The songs blast and groove their way through the playing time and each one has a good grasp of melodics, heaviness, choruses and dynamics. There’s a Thrash Metal influence on display too, but this is usually buried under the melodies, covertly adding to the sharp energy that the band exude.
The music is not without subtlety when it needs to be. The band have an ear for a decent riff and there’s plenty to hook and snare the listener into their world, as well as some good ideas too.
The vocalist grunts, shouts and screams depending on what the music calls for. He has an obvious passion and works with the music to get adrenaline pumping, heads banging and fists smashing.
Carnivora have followed up their impressive début album with a quality little EP that definitely signals big things for the future.
Expenzer are a Swiss Metal band and this is their début album.
This is modern Thrash Metal with a sound that’s somewhere between Darkane, Dew Scented and The Haunted. Indeed, the final song is a The Haunted cover.
The songs are well written and done in the classic verse-chorus style. This makes for easily digested Thrash songs that are quite catchy.
The songs are riff-heavy and are full of shredding licks, leads and solos. It’s mainly a heavy assault, but the band do insert the odd touch of melody here and there. They don’t do this often, so it’s noticeable when they do.
Kill the Conductor has a tight production, with all instruments sounding good. The drums pound away and the guitars rage and crunch. The solos have a fluid, flowing feel, which is something I always enjoy.
This is a decent Thrash Metal album that has a workman-like ethic of just getting down to it; no nonsense, no frills. The style works in their favour and Kill the Conductor is 49 minutes of gratifying Metal.
Dew-Scented are a German Thrash Metal band and this is their tenth album.
I hadn’t heard anything from Dew-Scented since their 2002 album Inwards, which was a good album to Thrash along to. As such, I was keen to catch up with them 13 years later.
13 years. Blimey.
Anyhoo, in the interim it seems that little has changed in the grand scheme of things. Dew-Scented still offer high-octane, spiky Thrash Metal and once again I’m more than happy to lap it up.
With a crisp, heavy production, the band tear through 55 minutes of chunky, aggressive Thrash, (including covers of Solstice and Repulsion songs).
This is a very riff-centred album. The songs are collections of hungry Thrash riffs, artfully threaded together into paeans to Metal. Ripping Thrash is the bedrock of their sound, but more emotive guitars provide some depth where needed. The band use melodies to their benefit; frequently subtle affairs, they’re used to enhance the feelings of a particular passage or section.
Guitar solos are plentiful on Intermination and I always love a good solo. This is a very guitar-oriented album and the songs just satisfy.
The vocals sound better than ever. The singer’s voice is aggressive and brutal, barking out the lyrics with angry abandon.
It’s good to hear Dew-Scented again. It also reminds me of why I enjoyed Inwards so much. I’d say that on Intermination they have tightened everything up; the added experience they’ve notched up over the years means that this is a highly focused album from a band that know themselves very well.
As heavy, aggressive Thrash Metal goes, this is definitely a winner.
This is the début album from Indian Heavy Metal band Albatross.
We’ve met Albatross before, on their split with Vestal Claret. This is their first full length so it’s a pleasure to be reacquainted with their particularly interesting brand of Heavy Metal.
The songs on this release are all full of character and Albatross certainly put their own spin on things.
It’s the intention of Albatross to tell a story; while some bands who do this do it purely through the lyrics, Albatross strive to ensure that the music talks just as loudly as the words.
This is an album of two halves, with each half having its own story and theme. In line with the album cover, there is somewhat of a carnival feeling to the music on occasion, at least to the first half of the album. The second half is more straight-faced but just as compelling. Albatross are talented song-smiths and have a good ear for a good tale.
Quirky Heavy Metal is the name of the game and here Albatross are playing in the big leagues. Iron Maiden, King Diamond, Queensrÿche and bits of Thrash Metal are all melted down and consumed in some sickly-looking broth, only to be regurgitated in multicolour and in new and glorious ways by the band.
Taking these starting points, the band inject their own colourful personalities and passions into this lively release, resulting in an album that is a feast of delights. It’s extremely well-played and delivered, with some choice solos and vocal performances.
The track record of albums with concepts such as this is chequered at best, but Albatross have produced a winner here.
Distant Sun are a Russian Power/Speed Metal band and this is their début album.
This is Power Metal played in the European style with a nice influence from US Thrash/Speed Metal felt throughout.
The vocals are a little grittier than most European-influenced bands and this falls in line with the Thrash influence. The singer does have a good voice though and is reminiscent of the singer of Metallica in some ways, but thankfully not overly so.
The band are comfortable playing chuggy, Thrashy riffs as well as more stirring, melodic ones. Overall the album is quite riff-heavy and the guitars have a nice bite to them.
Distant Sun’s style is kind of late-90s, combining the Power, Heavy and Thrash Metal styles of the time into a kind of Blind Guardian/Testament/Iced Earth/Annihilator melting pot. Add to this a bit of an 80s Thrash influence too and you have Dark Matter.
The songs are a good combination of these styles and frequently result in tracks that are both high-octane and catchy.
The band members in Distant Sun are also active in Shadow Host and Starsoup; both are top-notch bands and Distant Sun is another great outing from them.
I firmly recommend this and suggest you check them out.
Portuguese band Tales for the Unspoken play Thrash Metal and this is their second album.
The singer has a nicely deep roar that’s almost a Death Metal growl. It lends a brutal air to already aggressive music. Ethereal cleans also appear but these are certainly the exception rather than the norm.
The music is solid Thrash Metal that locks into a good groove when it needs to. Faster sections are frequent while melody is used sparingly, usually in conjunction with the clean vocals.
The songs are largely quite short and sweet, hovering around the 3-4 minute mark in the main. The band revel in their portrayal of Metal and there are decent amounts of leads and shredding licks peppered throughout the album.
The guitars have a good crunch to them and the drums pound with the best of them. Tales for the Unspoken have a clear love for this style and this comes across in the music.
This is Thrash metal that’s on the more aggressive side of the spectrum. This can be considered Death Thrash in many ways, as even with the inclusion of the odd clean vocal here and there the majority of the album is harsh and heavy. I’d probably stop short of really describing them as such though as the music is almost completely Thrash Metal and it doesn’t really add much to them by describing them in such terms. I mention it mainly for completion, as there definitely are Death Metal aspects to their sound.
I also like the fact that Tales for the Unspoken don’t go down the retro-Thrash route with this. CO2 is fully-contemporary Thrash Metal with an aggressive streak and quality riffs aplenty.
A thoroughly enjoyable release. Tales for the Unspoken sound good and CO2 is fit for consumption.
Braineater are from the US and play Death Metal/Deathgrind.
Braineater’s Deathgrind mixes Death Metal and Grindcore with an emphasis on the Death Metal side of the equation. They take the loose Punk-style of Grind and the brutal nature of Death Metal, merging the two with a Thrash sensibility.
Deep grunts are a matter of course for this kind of thing, but it’s the higher vocals that make a real impression. They have a lot of personality and wouldn’t be out of place on an 80’s surf-inspired Thrash album.
There are only 5 tracks here but it’s a good 19 minutes of music. The fact that it’s biased towards Death and Thrash Metal means that these are not your one minute marathons that some Grind is made up of, (with track 3, One Nation Under Gunpoint, being the exception). Instead we get enjoyable Death Metal with elements of Thrash and Grind at a decent length and with plenty of bloodshed and brain eating to go around.
This is a very encouraging EP. It shows a band who are putting a slightly different spin on a well-worn sound, and one that has a lot of character and personality to boot.
Regicide are from the US and this is their début album. They play Thrash Metal.
Anacrusis 1991 Manic Impressions ( Visionary music, still ahead of it’s time.)
Wonderbox Metal 