At this point, we’re all aware of the thrash resurgence that has come over the metal scene in the last couple of years. These are bands that have more in common stylistically with Testament and Sacred Reich than they do with At The Gates, the band that most of the young groups seem to worship. Earache Records have been early supporters of the renaissance and have just released Thrashing Like A Maniac which features many of the newer bands that are flying the trash flag. Here is my band by band breakdown of the record:

Bonded By Blood (USA) “Immortal Life” - Naming themselves after the classic debut album from Exodus, these L.A. rippers actually sound more like the Steve Souza era of the aforementioned band. Everything from the whammy-bar assisted guitar solos to the tinny production screams of 1987!

Evile (UK) “Thrasher” – This UK quartet take their love for Metallica so far as to go ahead and get Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets and …And Justice For All producer, Flemming Rasmussen to work on their debut album, Enter The Grave. They seem to have a strong sense of songwriting with an impressive chorus that was tailor-made for crowd participation.

Municipal Waste (USA) “The Art of Partying” – If you don’t own this Virginia unit’s last two studio albums yet, you are doing yourself a huge disservice. Besides, Dave Witte is their drummer!

Dekapitator (USA) “Deathstrike Command” – Featuring former members of Relapse Records’ gore grinders Exhumed, this band owes more to the often overlooked European thrash bands of the mid-80’s than the Bay Area flock that dominated back in the day. You’ll find shades of Sodom, Destruction and even Assassin in the blitzkrieg riffs of “Deathstrike Command.”

Fueled By Fire (USA) “Massive Extinction” – This is an L.A. band that pack clubs up and down the west coast and rightfully so! Their adrenaline spiked attack is headed by Chris Monroy’s fiery guitar runs and the machine-gun drumming of Carlos Guiterrez. This is an act to keep your eyes on!

Decadence (Sweden) “Corrosion” – It was nice to see a female fronted group included on this. Lead by “Metallic” Kitty Saric, Decadence show promise with their updated take on the thrash thing but lack the nuances to really separate them from the pack.

Warbringer (USA) “Total War” – This five-piece remind me of the great Canadian band, Sacrifice. John Kevill’s voice fits Warbringer’s style like a (spiked) glove! He comes off more like a drill sergeant barking orders than he does sing but then again, the song is called “Total War” after all.

SSS (UK) “Overload” – When someone mentions the UK city of Liverpool, 99 out of 100 times you’ll think of The Beatles. Going on that idea, I was surprised by the bludgeoning my speakers took courtesy of the opening charge of “Overload” with its buzzing riffs and crossover styled tempos. Fans of Righteous Pigs and DRI will lap this shit up!

Gama Bomb (Ireland) “Zombi Brew” – This Irish troupe injects their thrash with enough lightheartedness to offset the double-bass aided ferocity of their sound. Older readers will be reminded of Werchmacht and younger ones will think of Municipal Waste when listening to their comedic lyrics. But make no mistake, Gama Bomb’s riff cyclones are no laughing matter!

Merciless Death (USA) “Exhumer” – The no-frills onslaught of “Exhumer” shares Dekapitator’s love of the more obscure European bands that worked in the fringes of the first thrash movement. Merciless Death knows their Kreator records well and they do them justice on this winning track.

Deadfall (UK) “Resistance is Futile” – All the elements are present here for Deadfall’s “Resistance is Futile” to be a beast of a song. The Uzi-like drums, the tech-y guitar accents and the hook-filled chorus but something just falls a little flat in the end. Maybe it’s Mike Thompson’s grating vocals?

Lazarus (USA) “Last Breath” – See above. But the main riff did remind me of Vio-Lence’s great “World in a World” which is a really good thing!

Toxic Holocaust (USA) “War is Hell – Credit must be given to Joel Grind for pushing his Toxic Holocaust project even before the current thrash resurgence. His stripped down approach sounds like a mix between Motorhead, Venom and Possessed. Relapse recently signed him so hopefully more people start discovering their fantastic records!

Mutant (UK) “Psycho Therapy” – These UK troublemakers recall Kreator’s Extreme Aggression period and there isn’t any shame in that!

Violator (Brazil) “Atomic Nightmare” – This is the best band to come out of Brazil since the Cavalera brothers got together with some weirdo named Jairo T. and a bassist with an afro. Everything from the distinct vocals to the manic guitar solos work here. Add lyrics about nuclear war fallout and you have thrash metal perfection! Violator could be huge if pushed the right way. Labels, listen up!

Send More Paramedics (UK) “Twilight of the Flies” – These dudes label themselves “Zombiecore” and I’m not really clear on what that exactly means. What I do know is their crossover informed style is reminiscent of older bands like Necrophagia and Evil Dead.

Rating: 8/10
Label: Earache Records
Website: www.earache.com

By Carlos Ramirez

Rate this review: (8 votes, average: 3.88 out of 5)
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