Lenny Troo Frasher: Headbanging

A great time for thrash fans! New stuff from Toxic Holocaust, Warbringer, and more!

The past couple of weeks have been good for thrash fans! We find ourselves swimming in newly released material from Toxic Holocaust, lyric videos from Warbringer and Onslaught, and a full music vid from the mighty Annihilator.

The tune from Toxic Holocaust sounds vicious and hungry, assuring that the new album Chemistry of Consciousness is going to be a monster. 

The same could easily be said about Warbringer's track Hunter Seeker. A hard-hitting thrasher with sweeps of brutally melodic touches. Keep in mind that the new album 'IV: Empires Collapse' includes guitarist Jeff Potts and bassist Ben Mottsman, plucked from the raging bad-ass machine known as Mantic Ritual. This album will crush!

Onslaught's Chaos Is King is truly a wall of sonic violence. An absolute relentless attack of metal. It doesn't get scarier than this.

Annihilator's No Way Out is a rolling thrash tune with elements of hard rock that echo the rockin' stomp of Clutch (and I'm not saying that just because vocalist Dave Padden is sporting the thick Neil Fallon beard). Great tune!

Anyway, enough babbling! Let's scroll down and check out some killer METAL!!

Weekend Breakdown featuring Battery and Animator

If things would have gone to plan, I would be congratulating Denmark's own BATTERY on their record deal as well as the November release of their new album Armed With Rage.

However, due to some disagreements between band and label, the deal fell through, leaving our brothers-in-thrash without a home for their already-recorded album. Sure, this isn't the first time, nor the last in which a band will wind up in this type of circumstance, but it still sucks all the same. Remember the mess involving Tantara early last year?

So while Battery explores some options, they were cool enough to share a few of their newly recorded tunes, offering up a big bite of what we'll find on Armed With Rage once it's finally released.

Check out the songs below and hit the band up here.









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Speaking of new albums, Ireland's ANIMATOR released their new album Blacklisted this past summer. The album crushes with interesting riffage and cool vocals. When I say "interesting", I am not downplaying the songwriting in a smirky patronizing manner. No, it IS freakin' interesting, serving up thrash with pure rock and tastes of punk which add colorful layers of keen madness that is catchy and wonderfully ass-kicking. Songs such as Ultra '53 have so much crammed into it without feeling weighed down. Then we have the tune Manipulator which is a fantastic hard rock/thrash hybrid which actually brought a bit of DEVO to my mind. What the hell, right?

Although it might sound as if Animator is throwing a bunch of ideas against the wall to see what sticks, rest assured that their attempts are solid and pay off almost every time. Also, the stellar musicianship help to make these musical endeavors shine. Damn, those guitar solos are slamming!

So, here's the bonus: Animator has made Blacklisted available as a FREE download on the band's Bandcamp page. Nice! Check out the songs below, and then visit them over on Facebook.

Insanity Alert's new music video!

Austrian thrashers INSANITY ALERT have unleashed their new video for the tune Twist Off Betrayal. Many beer drinkers out there will definitely relate to the song's subject matter. I'm sure that at least once in your life you cried out in a pained voice, "This isn't a twist off?!" - all while nursing a fresh wound earned from a stubborn bottle cap.

So kick back and enjoy the next 60 seconds with Insanity Alert. Afterward, take advantage of the band's generosity and download their most recent EP for FREE here. Also, hit them up on Facebook and tell 'em thanks for the free thrash!

YAAAA!!!!!

Weekend Breakdown featuring Necroriser and Space Chaser

I've been gone a while, and although I am still on my extended break from blogging, I found a little extra time this evening...

...so let me stick my forehead-bruised noggin up from the dark just long enough for it to get kicked clean off my neck by some face-shattering METAL!

First, check out the outright brutal deathrash of the London based band NECRORISER. These guys slam together killer old-school thrash hooks with the browbeating insanity of grave digging death metal. Necroriser headlocks the listener with furiously heavy riffs that march along the fretboard like an army of sledgehammer-wielding zombies. That's right. The combination of headbanging chug and hammering speed make for a blissful savaging of the eardrums.

Check out the band's most recent release "Violent" below and hit the band up here.

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I mentioned SPACE CHASER on my Facebook page a while back, meaning to eventually give the Berlin based band some NWOTM Blog-love in the future.

I love their sound, which seems to have a bit of Gama Bomb worship mixed with the punch of U.S. bi-coastal thrash influences. The riffs are both frantic and catchy, hooking the ear before attacking with a speedy head-battering. Vocalist Siegfried Rudzynski offers a lot of charisma in his delivery, going from clean to rough to high-pitched, all working well alongside the dynamics of the music.

Jam out to the tunes below and if you like 'em, go tell Space Chaser how much they kick ass on their Facebook page. Bands like that, I reckon.

Homicide Hagridden ROCKS!

Thrash, thrash, THRASH! For the past few days, I've been slamming my head to the insanity of Homicide Hagridden, allowing them to bloody my ears with some well-meaning Slayer worship. The Hagridden crew adds a few drops of Teutonic influences to hammer home a thunderous mass of speedy metal, complete with fist-pumping e-string gallops and the occasional face-stomping breakdown.

Damn, these guys seriously kicked my ass hard. Their tune Black As War is as thrash as it gets!

Check out Homicide Hagridden's new album "US" below, buy it here, and then hit these guys up on Facebook.

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Motam Death Squad ROCKS!

Ah, man, I arrived late to the party once again.

Surfing around the mighty YouTube can offer up unexpected results when searching for thrash metal. Whilst mining through mountains of crap, there are nuggets of gold to be found, and found one I surely did! Unfortunately that particular golden nugget had already broken up. Sad.

For those of you not privy to the band, let me introduce the late MOTAM DEATH SQUAD, a crossover band from Italy that gives a fair share of nods to Teutonic thrash as it does S.O.D., Anthrax, Sadus, and even Scatterbrain (to a point).

These guys were in it for the FUN, and although most of us like our thrash fun as well as fast, it would all be for nothing without kick-ass riffs to propel the festivities along. NO WORRIES here, my finicky friends, as their 2011 self-titled album is swirling with face-ripping riffage, backed by head-slamming dynamics and rhythms.

The fact that MDS's album didn't reach beyond the self-released status is a shame. Supposedly, before they broke up they made their self-titled album available as a free download. As of this writing, I cannot find the official download link to this brilliant parting gift from a killer band I never had the pleasure of knowing while they were still kicking. Boo.

Thankfully, we can still jam Motam Death Squad via YouTube. Check out the full album below (note that the music begins around the 1:55 mark), and if your internet searching skills trump mine, please post any found info about MDS in the comments section. (Yes, I found their MySpace page, but, man...if there is any useful info to be found there, I surely could not find it.)

Weekend Breakdown featuring Parkcrest and Damned Creed

Sometimes I come across a band's demo that may not be perfect in execution, but behind the raw attempt is a spark of pure bad-assery. Such is the case with Santiago's young thrash band PARKCREST.

The band's new demo "Curse" might turn a few thrash fans away at first listen with its rough performance in spots, but looking a little further into the riffs and song structure, one will find a carnivorous budding metal band that offers up a killer, closed-fisted thrashing.

As I jam to Parkcrest's available tunes, I find that other than the occasional loose musical execution, the only true sore spot would be with the vocals. Not that the vocals are all that bad, but in cases such as the chorus to Into The Light, it is apparent that adding melodic vocal lines is not a strong point.

That minor wincing aside, I have to say that the riffs are savage, pieced together into solid songs filled with slamming dynamics and competent guitar solos. Songs such as Dark Magicians and Curse All pull off fast and interesting riffage, engaging me as a metal fan and had me hitting the "repeat" button.

Again, is it perfect? No, but who cares? Parkcrest kicks ass and I'm definitely going to keep my eye on these guys to see how they'll develop in their future recordings.

Check out the tunes below and then hit them up on Facebook here.

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From Athens we have DAMNED CREED, who recently released their new album titled Choose A Side.

These guys flex their musical muscles in head-bangable riffs with nods to Slayer and Overkill. Tunes such as Enemies Among Us and Doomsayers of Greed are thoroughly crushing exercises in fist-pumping aggression. Fast and brutal, Damned Creed pulls off each song with razor sharp precision, handing one back his or her bruised ass after each listen.

At times, the dynamics behind the riff, such as the mid-paced jam at the end of Doomsayers border on an epic feel, making me wish they would keep the momentum running with a two or three minute solo soaring over it all. Sure, such an addition might be unnecessary, but some of these riffs are so damn good, I don't want them to stop!

Give Damned Creed a listen below and then thank them on their Facebook page for offering up their new album as a FREE download here!

Good times, good METAL!

Weekend Breakdown featuring Sagros, Zodiac Ciphers, and Maze of Terror

Bring on SAGROS, a Colombian band intent on dealing out some gut-punching angry METAL. I was turned onto Sagros after hearing their neck-snapping song Anger Blinds The Mind, which immediately tossed me into a brawl of chugging riffage. The tight intensity of the song had me at the get-go, but the riffs turn to a catchy dynamic halfway through that makes me want to start a makeshift moshpit in my living room, the casualties being my turned-over chairs and bruised shins. Totally metal.

These guys have been flying the thrash metal flag for over 15 years and will finally release their debut album through Hateworks sometime this year.

Check out the tune below and then visit them on Facebook here.

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Now I bring you the majestic ZODIAC CIPHERS, a thrash band that drinks from the cup of Slayerisms, filled to the top with a suicide of power thrash and death metal. Vocalist Kjell Andersson mainly refrains from the "Cookie Monster" vokills, opting for the traditional thrash bark/clean singing. The music however rages with a death metal charge, then switches gears to the melodic, and then offers up some Bay Area aggression before heading back into the grave. It's all a killer mix to piece together into some solid metal songs.

Slam to the music streams below and then give them a "Like" here.





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From Peru we have MAZE OF TERROR, a band that unleashes a sick and thunderous thrash pounding with their new EP titled Skull Crusher. This three-piece specialize in metal that rakes the listener across gravel with guttered riffs and fire-spewing vocals. The song Rival is a chugfest of speedy angst while Hatred and Repression is a tune that offers up plenty of deliberate mosh-worthy moments.

Hold your invisible grapefruits high as you check out the tune below and then visit the band here. If you like what you hear, the band has made Skull Crusher available as a FREE download! Grab it here.

The new release from Siberian Meat Grinder!

Ah, thrashy hardcore goodness! One of my faves, the almighty SIBERIAN MEAT GRINDER, has unleashed a new album titled Versus The World.

Like the band's previous release Hail To The Tsar, SMG takes the listener on a ride of crossover madness peppered with metallic jams, punk rock, and grooving riff rock.

Songs such as From The Dust Returned and Die On The Road demonstrate what SMG does best, mixing favorite genres seamlessly, although I do wish they would utilize those tiny bits of crunchy traditional metal and swampy riffs more often. Still, it all freakin' rocks.

If this sounds like your cup of tea, then check out the album below and hit the band up on Facebook. However, if you don't like hardcore-laden heavy-ass music, then go here.

I don't know much about them, but HumanHunter ROCKS!

Okay, who the hell is HumanHunter? I thought my online searching skills were at least up to an intermediate level of expertise, but the results I come up with for this metal band are minimal at best. Argh!!!

No matter. I had recently stumbled upon a couple of HumanHunter's songs on YouTube, both which provided a decent ass-kicking, so I'm passing them on to you.

Based on what we have here, HumanHunter leans toward the blackened thrash sound, offering a full-on assault of head banging riffs and rhythms, topped with undead-like vocals…like a specter vomiting sand, which is always cool.

The song Insomnia caught my attention with its driving mid-paced attack, but the pure bad-assery of the tune Angel's Death solidified me as a fan. The latter tune's first minute and a half treats the listener to a crushingly heavy riff stomp while vocalist David Lorente distorts his vocals to a maddening level. It works well, but then the song kicks into gear, hitting us with horns-up thrash and a catchy-as-hell sing-along chorus.

So far there are some classic moments to find on HH's self-titled 2011 release, but I just need to hear the rest!

Check out the tunes below and then shrug as you check out their MySpace page. Here's a bit more info on them. Anyone with additional info, kindly post in the comments section below.

Weekend Breakdown: Besieged and Leech

Brutal, brutal, BRUTAL. Winnipeg's BESIEGED hit that sickening sweet spot of kick-ass death-tinged thrash metal, making me shake my head in ecstatic disbelief. As I listen to their debut album Victims Beyond All Help, I am blown away by the sheer power of each song, belted out with uncompromising ferocity in attitude as well as musical competence.

Battering my ears with unmercifully fast riffs and bloodthirsty vocals, Besieged brilliantly intertwines the old-school deathrash of early-era Sepultura with the frenzied brutality of Demolition Hammer and Guillotine. Offering no time to catch one's breath, the band's debut storms the listener with thrash metal that sounds fresh as it does violently PISSED…you know, as it should be!

Indie label Unspeakable Axe will reissue Victims Beyond All Help on July 9th (it was previously self-released by the band), and if they can afford the band substantial reach within the metal community, I believe we'll see this album on quite a few "Best Of" lists for 2013.

Damn. Good. Metal.

Listen to the tracks below and then hit them up on Facebook.









LEECH, a New York metal band, utilizes many influences to solidify a sound that is absolutely face-melting. And I love to have my face melted!

The blend of east coast thrash and hardcore is brought to life with a strong injection of crushing Swedish death metal (sans the "buzzsaw" sound). Leech's merging of these genres sounds natural and effortless, resulting in a most brutal ass-kicking.

Vocalist Christian Geraldino fits Leech's musical delivery like a glove, offering up a touch of hardcore rhythms and gang shouts to complement his throaty thrash and death metal vocal assault.

Leech provides music to which a metal fan can positively RAGE. Wanna rage? Good! Check out the tunes below, download 'em for FREE, and then visit Leech here.

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Twisted Wrath ROCKS!

Yeah, I know my blog output has been rather pathetic lately, but I still have my feelers out, listening to tons of killer metal from around the world.

I'm just not writing about it. Blah.

Anyway, I'm stopping in for a quick "how-do-you-do?" and to let you all in on a killer metal band out of Ireland.

TWISTED WRATH is a driving mix of classic heavy metal and thrash. Drawing from a gamut of influences - from Testament to W.A.S.P. to Iron Maiden - these guys pull off some neck-damaging metal.

Vocalist Patrick Fitzgerald strays from the typical thrash bark, opting for a more Blackie Lawless output, and it works well with Twisted Wrath's brand of blended metal.

The guitars are tight, providing the crunch to well-constructed song structures and dynamics, all which could be easily utilized for a sonic face melting. We could all use one of those once in a while.

Twisted Wrath has generously provided their new EP "Madman's Chorus" on their Bandcamp page as a FREE download (or Name Your Price). Get it here.

Those of you who like a like little more old-school metal in your thrash should give these guys a listen. If you like what you hear, let 'em know about it!

Jeff Hanneman and the sound of Slayer

Today metal fans across the globe were shocked at the sudden news of Jeff Hanneman's death. Ever since he seemingly disappeared from the public's eye during his bout with necrotizing fasciitis, we still hoped that eventually everything would be back to normal, and we'd have our Slayer back.

New album. New tour. Original members.

After all, Slayer…f*cking SLAYER…is something that is set in stone. Never ending and forever. A pioneering band that not only helped spawn thrash, but created riffs that would in turn create hundreds of bands looking to recreate that sound.

That SOUND. Holy sh*t. You know it when you hear it. The Slayer sound. The four ingredients to that sonic brutality were Araya, Hanneman, King, and Lombardo, all key factors in establishing a solid foundation of metal in its purest form. Bold, scary, and completely kick-ass.

Reign In Blood came out a full year before I gained my thrash wings. I had broke ground as a Slayer fan with South of Heaven, but before I bought the now classic album, I remember being vaguely afraid of Slayer. Afraid? Scared? Okay, that sounds a bit melodramatic, but I definitely saw them as an ominous group of musicians…the kind from which I should probably stay far away.

At least that was my perception at the time. At 15 years-old, I was deep into Metallica, living and breathing Master of Puppets, and had just picked up Suicidal Tendencies' How Will I Laugh Tomorrow…? album. D.R.I.'s 4 of a Kind had hit, and there was no turning back for me. I wanted faster and heavier!

South of Heaven had been released, and I still remained a curious arm-length's distance away. It wasn't until a TV commercial aired, containing a snippet of Slayer playing the album's title track, that made me turn my head and say, "I want that!"

I want that…the Slayer SOUND. Stemming from Show No Mercy and Hell Awaits, perfected with Reign In Blood, and grew to unstoppable proportions with South of Heaven and Seasons in the Abyss.

Four ingredients. One sound.

The sound that influenced multitudes of thrash and death metal bands. Would early Sepultura sound the same without Slayer? Would the breakdown in Dead Embryonic Cells exist without the blueprint from Raining Blood?

Sorry. Retreading the impact Slayer has on metal would be reiterating the obvious, but it's still hard not to go down that path. However, it's impressive that Slayer remains a viable and thriving influence after 30-plus years. Especially for a type of music that was never intended to achieve more than underground status.

But this type of music did bust out of the underground. After all, we have the Big Four. Some folks look at the "Big Four" concept as a bit cheesy, but I sure as hell don't. The four biggest selling thrash bands from back in the heyday of metal are monuments of what was a f*cking awesome time to be a metal head.

Slayer was one of those four bands. Hanneman, as one of the four members of Slayer, was important to the sound and legacy of thrash metal as we know it today. He will be missed, but the sound he helped create lives stronger than ever today in the many, many bands influenced by Slayer.

Slayer. Set in stone. Never ending and forever.

Thanks for the music, Jeff.

The new EVILE track "Underworld" is streaming now!

Decibel Magazine is streaming a new track from new wave of thrash big hitters EVILE.

The song, titled Underworld, is a more than promising peek at the band's upcoming album "Skull", to be released on May 27th.

Man, I really dig this cut. Underworld is a full-on thrasher, not meant to stray into tedious roads of contrived prog or heady musical statements. No, this one grabs by the arm, rips it out, and dines on it.

If you want to check it out, and by all means you really should, head over to Decibel Magazine for a taste of Skull!

Come on May 27th!!

Happy Condition Critical Day!

Within an enigmatically reasoned Facebook post, last year I dubbed this day (April 23rd) Condition Critical Day. Why? I don't remember. I must of been sickly excited about something the New Jersey thrash band did, and probably made the holiday declaration as a well-intended joke. Yet that declaration stuck in my head, and here we are a year later.

So, you know…Happy Condition Critical Day!

Now although the NWOTM Blog was hoping the band's new album Operational Hazard would be out right now to help commemorate this special made-up holiday, you can still celebrate by downloading their "Bred to Kill" demo and promo song "Random Acts of Killing" for free from their Facebook page.

While you're there, wish the band a Happy Condition Critical Day as well. I don't think they know anything about this, and it might be fun to confuse the hell out of 'em.

Thrash and be merry!

Video for DEATHRAISER's Terminal Disease

Finally, Brazil's own maniacal thrash band DEATHRAISER has released its very first music video!

The video is for the song Terminal Disease, from the band's 2011 album Violent Aggression (re-released in 2012 via Xtreem Music), and it CRUSHES!

If you haven't slammed to Deathraiser yet, you're missing out. These guys write music akin to driving in railroad spikes with your face. The speed and insanity they inject into their metal is both maddening and perfect.

Check out the vid below (and beware of vocalist Thiago's crazed eyes!!), and then hit them up on either Facebook or MySpace.

New song from ESSENCE - Fractured Dimension!!

Danish thrash masters ESSENCE released a new lyric video for their new tune Fractured Dimension.

I am a huge fan of Essence's album Lost in Violence, and I'm positive their upcoming release Last Night of Solace will not suck.

Fractured Dimension is a promising peek, layered with all kinds of thrashing goodies - driving riffs, spot-on guitar work, and Lasse Skov's unmistakable vocals.

The ONLY thing that took me out of the song was how similar the opening verse riff brings to mind the verse riff to Tantara's Negligible Souls. I seriously doubt this was a "rip-off" of sorts, and that's where the similarities end. It still kicks magnitudes of ass.

Check out the tune below, hit them up on Facebook here, and pre-order the album on iTunes!

I'm looking forward to March 29th to get my order in for Last Night of Solace! ESSENCE!!!

Mantic Ritual awakens. Stay AWAKE!!

Good ol' "Japan" Nick Perkel brought a bit of news to the forefront with this article. All I have to say is MANTIC RITUAL is BACK, baby!

Okay…okay, I need to take it down a notch. I'm just excited. So far, they are reforming to play this year's Thrasho De Mayo in Los Angeles. That's all, it seems. Sorry. So sorry.

Baby steps. Baby steps.

You see, Mantic Ritual should afford the possibility of this little get-together to become a full-fledged reunion. Why? Because back in 2009, they released the stellar thrash album Executioner, and then let that Perkel jerk see them live on three different occasions before slowly falling apart.

What I'm trying to say, other than being jealous of anyone fortunate enough to see them on tour, is that their first album was a solid and slamming stepping stone to something earth-shattering - and I wanna HEAR it.

So enough of this not-yet realized fabled modern thrash classic which dances around in my dreams like a treasure of shining brilliance I cannot embrace! Album #2 needs to happen, dammit!

Striking Beast ROCKS!

YES!!!

I love finding gems like this while roaming the thrash channels of the internet.

Here we have STRIKING BEAST, a new thrash band out of Poland who just released their 4-song EP titled Nuclear Genocide.

Striking Beast fished amongst the rivers of thrash metal clichés, reeling in song titles such as Toxic Injection and Alcoholic Assault, which admittedly had me check them out in the first place. Clichés don't bother me. Crappy music does. Thankfully, Striking Beast wraps those "Pizza Thrash" titles around some kick-ass, crushing thrash f'n METAL!

The music is tight and in your face, offering up sharp riffs that are not only interesting and well-executed, but they end up serving their intended purpose: thrash your freakin' NECK.

Yes, their songs rock, and you have no excuse to NOT check 'em out since Striking Beast is offering Nuclear Genocide up as a FREE download. Oh, and also because I am posting all of the EP's song below.

So listen below, download the EP here, and then go tell the band "THANKS, GUYS" on their Facebook page.

If any band has hit the ground running, it's Striking Beast. Bad-ASS!!

New unreleased Slayer song "Necrotizing Fasciitis"?! No, but this is funny.

Ever since Jeff Hanneman and the disease necrotizing fasciitis became intertwined for metal fans who leave their passionate opinions on the online metal forums, people have been clamoring for SLAYER to write a song titled after the skin-rotting affliction.

Well, someone took the idea into their own hands and produced a very Slayer-esque effort to inject a little humor into a very serious disease. Behold the "Rare New Unreleased Slayer song" Necrotizing Fasciitis!

As of this writing I don't know what band put this together, but damn, the guy really sounds like Tom Araya!

Listen, have a laugh at the rather juvenile humor, and still give off some good vibes to our man Hanneman for a full recovery. He is needed in the REAL Slayer!

Tantara bassist quits! Max, we hardly knew ye...

So one of my absolute favorite NWOTM bands has lost its bassist.

Max Ejaxx, bass master for the thrash titans TANTARA has decided to exit the band. Apparently, his heart lies in other types of art other than thumping the rhythm strings. Sez Max on the Tantara Facebook page:


"I want to thank everyone of you for supporting, listening, banging your head and drinking to Tantara. For all the smiles, fists and thrashing heads I've seen on our shows over the past two years.
It has been a great experience for me. Recording the debut album and being a part of it all was amazing. I'll never forget it.

The reason for this message is this.. I have come to the decision to leave the band. It's a tough one for me, but it's for the best. I want to focus on art and other stuff right now. Being a musician is just a hobby for me at the moment.

The guys in Tantara respects my decision and I am still up for playing on the coming shows until they find a new bassist.

Looking forward to seeing the future of the band from another perspective and I promise you... the next album is going to be insane. Herregud."


Usually, losing a band member can be a frightening prospect, especially if the loss alters the band's sound in any way. I mean, if the band sucks donkeys, then maybe a change is for the better. However, Tantara doesn't suck donkeys, or any other animal for that matter. So, considering Tantara has put together some modern classic thrash tunes, here's hoping that the change won't kill the chemistry within the band, thus putting a damper on the songwriting.

As hungry as these guys are, I believe a new bassist (a new LUCKY bassist) will be found and Tantara will be just as strong as ever, cranking out the promised "insane" album we are clamoring for.

So now, the question will be…who will become the new bassist for TAN-f'n-TARA?!

You?

Probably not, but I'm sure it will be someone great. Now scroll down and thrash.

New song from Ultra-Violence!

In a previous post, The NWOTM Blog sung praises about the mighty Italian thrashers ULTRA-VIOLENCE and their powerfully solid brand of aggressive METAL.

Although the wait hasn't been too long for some new Ultra-Violence, I believe that kick-ass music can never come soon enough, right? Right. Well, recently we've been blessed with a taste of Privilege To Overcome, their upcoming full-length album from Punishment 18 Records!

Take a look-see down and check out the frenzy of their new song Turn Into Dust! This song is a continuation of the throat-tearing music we've come to expect of a band with such a horns-up moniker.

Turn Into Dust is delightfully sick with a riff (that begins about 2:14) that is sure to cause more than a couple injuries in the pit. I'm freakin' excited to jam the rest of this album!

As for you, listen below, thrash out, and then go hit up their Facebook page. \m/

Weekend Breakdown with Metreya and Evil Invaders

 I need to thank Cat H. for pointing me toward Australian metallers METREYA. Based on their one available song, I am now waiting impatiently to hear more, more, MOOOAR!!

With their self-titled tune, Metreya invoke the stomp of Anthrax with killer doses of Slayerisms and Testament. One can even hear slight touches of power thrash sewn into the audible fabric. I dug everything I heard, but it was the songs mid-section of stellar fast riff gallops and moshable rhythms that brought it all together.

A nice piece of ear-damaging brutality, one which I hope will be followed by equally kick-ass mass of bludgeoning thrash metal.

Check out the tune below and then hit Metreya up here.

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Thanks again to Luuk Hoogland, who originally brought my attention to bands such as Brazil's Maniac Force, among others, has brought yet another gem to light.

Here we have the speed metal mania of EVIL INVADERS. These Belgium metal men excel in unreal riffage of insane acceleration, and foundation-shaking solos to give the droopy-eyed jaded metal fan a kick in the ass.

Vocalist Jöe Anus eats lightning and jets out sonic weapons of pure, thunderous METAL. My God, this stuff kicks ass!

Check out the tune Driving Fast below and then keep tabs on Evil Invaders here for updates on their new EP.

METAL!!!

New Iron Reagan song "Cycle of Violence"!

The guys over at Invisible Oranges are lucky enough to premiere the new track from punk/metal madmen Iron Reagan!

The song, titled Cycle of Violence, comes off their upcoming album Worse Than Dead, due to drop on March 6th.

The song crushes with a mid-paced neck-breaking rhythm, while Foresta's familiar pipes are solid as ever. A satisfying taste of what's to come from the new album. Can't wait!…but I have to, so whatever.

Check out the tune below! Hit Iron Reagan up here!

Atominated ROCKS!

A few days ago, Chad from Global Thrash Assault posted a write-up about Ireland thrash band ATOMINATED. I was about to simply post a link to his story on my Facebook page, but then I had second thoughts.

"Wait a minute!" I said out loud to nobody. "I shall ALSO write a kick-ass post about Atominated, and I shall call it good."

After all, an upstart band who crushes as much as Atominated does on their World Without Flesh EP deserves all the press they can get.

These guys excel at no-frills thrash f'n METAL. Short and sick tunes, each with handfuls of catchy riffs that slightly echo the gamut of the classic thrash bands of yore. The song Contagion has to be one of the most headbang-able songs I've heard in recent memory.

Sure, props must be given to guitarist David Curran for chugging out these slamming riffs, but all the members help summon success in these tunes. Drummer Nathan Quinn is the master conductor for the killer dynamics that make you want to MOSH, while bassist Toejam Hannjob (?!) keeps the rhythm tight.

Vocalist Eoin Clarke's raspy, yet powerful vocals channel classic thrash cadence, at times bringing to mind the locomotive delivery of "Brutal" Ben from Insinnerator's recent release (For example, check out Clarke's work on the majestic My New Face).

As much as I love these songs, at times they do feel a bit too short. The ending riff to the tune Atominated almost begs to dive into a well placed breakdown, causing assured mayhem in the pit (Yes, I said it. Breakdown. Kiss it, elitist groove-haters).

Thrash fans who are looking for nothing more than to satisfy that headbanging itch would do good in checking out Atominated's World Without Flesh EP. That's not a back-handed compliment at all, because sometimes we need to sit back and appreciate what a good volume-driven ass-kicking can do for the soul.

Atominated. Bad ass.

Check out the tune below and visit the band here.

Sonic Pulse and Six In Line to tour the east coast

Hey, as a resident in a far-away state, I can't go to any of the upcoming Sonic Pulse / Six In Line shows, but some of you on the U.S. east coast CAN.

So just to live vicariously through SOMEbody who will eventually post a bragging write-up on my Facebook page, I'm going to post some of the bands' songs as well as the tour dates in hopes that those of you who can attend will do so in the most thrashing manner possible.

Why would it rule if this tour comes through your city? Well, it's Sonic Pulse's first solo trek in support of their Lager Than Life album (not counting the string of shows with Lich King). Also, Six In Line is coming in all the way from Sweden for their first U.S. tour.

Oh, yeah, and both bands kick ass. I know they do because I said so here and here.

Needless to say, I'm excited for 'em all and I hope the tour goes well.

Check out the tunes below and then scroll down for tour dates to see if they are hitting your area.

The NWOTM Blog's Top 10 Albums of 2012

I have finally pieced together the New Wave of Thrash Metal Blog's Top Ten Albums of 2012.

Creating lists based on music favorites is always a difficult task for me because the list changes almost daily. Plus, I don't have the funds to get EVERY single thrash release, so really an "official best-of list" would be rather bogus coming from me. So if you don't see on my list what should be an obvious choice for every thrash top-ten, just know that either I haven't bought the album or your idea of a good album is pure silliness.

Also, let it be known that I originally included an "Honorable Mentions" list as well, but it became way, way too freakin' long. I could have easily made a Top 30 list for the year, but I only have so much time and patience (as do you, I'm sure), so I axed the honorables.

Now...let's get started!!

 10. Conflagrator - Inevitable Punishments

These guys cranked out a killer self-released EP with songs chock-full of thick riffs hammered over heavy, mid-paced rhythms.

9. Dr. Living Dead - Radioactive Intervention

Delivering another lesson in energetic crossover thrash, Dr. Living Dead offered up an album every bit as good as their debut.

8. Bio-Cancer - Ear Piercing Thrash

A chaotic mass of head-jolting riffage and venomous vocals weaved together in a rather original sound. Just an undeniably powerful album.

7. Testament - Dark Roots of Earth

As I said in my review for this album, "Testament managed to take everything they have perfected over the course of the band's career and build upon that foundation to give us an album that is savagely hungry, effectively beautiful, and as heavy as a near-flawless metal album should be." Too true.

6. Violentor - Rot

Their second album is another vicious attack of balls-out punk thrash. The riffs are infectious, creating songs that are satisfyingly catchy and brutal all at once.

5. Insinnerator - Hypothermia

Insinnerator's second release takes the unique sound of their debut and adds a confidence and maturity to the songwriting, making it all tighter, meaner, and completely neck-shredding. Utterly fantastic.

4. Overkill - The Electric Age

Veterans showing the young'uns how to CRUSH! When I read interviews with Blitz about his competitive spirit against the young and hungry thrash bands, he shows that while he and D.D. are older and wiser, they are every bit as hungry. The Electric Age is one hell of a kick in the ass.

3. Tantara - Based on Evil

At the time, the wait for this album to drop was excruciating. So much hype surrounded Based on Evil, and when it finally became available, I felt the music surpassed expectations. Based on Evil rages with well-written thrash, propelled by killer old-school riffing and ripping vocals. This will be considered a classic album within the NWOTM.

2. Lich King - Born of the Bomb

Pure thunder from a band clearly on top of their game. It's interesting to wonder if Lich King knew how special and thoroughly kick-ass an album Born of the Bomb was going to be as they were writing it. I love how people were almost surprised at just how damn good BotB is. We live in crazy times when a band like Lich King still remains unsigned to a solid metal label.

1. 4ARM - Submission For Liberty

Modern thrash done perfectly. With Submission For Liberty, 4ARM created a bulldozer of a metal album with hardly an inch of filler. Completely engrossing, Submission For Liberty contains dynamic musical passages of aggression and beauty that soars along on the backs of tight, well-crated riffs and rhythms. Smart, lively, and it freakin' CRUSHES.

Global Thrash Assault Radio is here!

I've been giving the Global Thrash Assault blog a lot of props recently. Chad Arnold, the blog's head honcho, is one of the hardest working fans around, and the results are spectacular.

First, he maintains a killer blog, featuring many thrash bands both signed and unsigned. Second, he helped produce the Wreck Your Neck compilation album, also featuring a wide array of thrash and next-of-kin sub genres.

Now he's bestowed upon us the Global Thrash Assault Radio online station! It's non-freakin'-stop METAL, and since this station is an obvious extension of the blog, you can expect the best of well-known as well as obscure kick-ass thrash metal, both new and classic.

Bands that want to possibly get some love on the Global Thrash Assault Radio, contact 'em here.

Check it out and tell GTA how much you appreciate the thrash dedication by visiting here.

METAL!

Review: Violentor - Rot

Italy's gutterpunk thrashers VIOLENTOR created a debut album that still holds a high spot on my music-listening rotation. The self-titled album's furious mix of distorted riffs and venomous vocals are both searingly intense and catchy as hell.

With their second album, Violentor hits the ground running with the title track ROT.  Right away you can feel that adrenaline kick in and be comforted that Violentor picks up right where they left us on their debut with a high-octane punk/thrash attack. Why change up the formula if it works so damn well?

Songs like and Free Spree and Daemonical Tutor are blistering pieces of work that bring to mind The Exploited type of riffage - except they take those riffs, push them down in a dirty ally, and kick them around until they are all bruised, bloodied, and full of grit and grime. In turn, those riffs do the same thing to the listener, like a twisted pay-it-forward scheme.

The song Breath of Hate offers a bit more to Violentor's arsenal with a rather slow and foreboding mid-section, offering a nice dynamic. The album closer The Last Sentence is a slow grinder, nearly balancing out the non-stop barrage of balls-out attitude emanating from the previous tracks.

Rot is an all-together mass of kick-ass insanity. I just love how Violentor can make ugly music a thing of beauty.

Listen to the full album below and if you're interested, pick up their CD from EBM Records here.

Mexico's ARSONIST delivers punk thrash that ROCKS!

Mexico's ARSONIST cooks up a taste of some gritty, pissed, crusty punk metal.

Taking a page from the likes of Toxic Holocaust, Violentor, and even Scissorfight, Arsonist rips through with barbed riffs of pure distorted bliss, all catchy and dynamic as hell.

The bass sound on here is completely SICK, adding a strong dimension to the production. Songs such as Setting Fire use this sound to its advantage, offering a sonic nose-punch halfway through the song as the bass leads the guitar into a pit-instigating stomp.

From the turbo-charged opening to the song Muerto en Las Vias to the swampy riff-rock opening to Ambitions of Death, there is much to love on Arsonist's self-titled EP.

I'm seriously gonna play the hell outta this one.

The good news is that they are offering it up as a FREE download. Check this stuff out below and go tell Arsonist how much they kick ASS here.