Thrashline: Bits of thrash metal news

Thrashline will be a semi-regular post in which I will run my virtual mouth about news items from around the thrash community. For obvious reasons I cannot post every new item that pops up (I'm not Blabbermouth, ya know), but I'll collect some bits that interest me and let you all know about them.

Let's get it going!


• SSS has two new official members: Stu Taylor on guitar and Dave Archer on drums. I'm always a bit wary when members switch up in a band, especially the guitarist since he or she is usually the main riff machine that makes up the band's sound. However, I will still check out any future releases by SSS and any other band I am a fan of such as Bonded By Blood or Hatchet who went through member changes.


• Over at the Anthrax website, they posted some dates for their upcoming tour with freaking Testament and Death Angel! Yeah - holy crap! This will be a killer show. Some of you guys here in the U.S. are left off so far, but let's hope that more dates are added soon. The ones they have so far are as follows:

10/14	Grand Rapids, MI	Orbit Room
10/15	Chicago, IL	Congress Theatre
10/16	inneapolis, MN	First Avenue
10/18	Wichita, KS	The Cotillion
10/19	Denver, CO	Summit Music Hall
10/22	Los Angeles, CA	Nokia LA Live
10/23	San Francisco, CA	Warfield Theatre
10/24	San Diego, CA	House of Blues
10/26	Albuquerque, NM	Sunshine Theatre
10/28	Dallas, TX	South Side Music Hall
10/29	Austin, TX	Emo's East
10/30	Houston, TX	Warehouse Live

• Finnish thrash masters UNHOPED have unleashed their new web site. Their old one was seriously lacking in...well, much of anything. Keep your eyes on this site for news on how you can get your hands on their upcoming CD titled Die Harder. I've heard it and it absolutely crushes.


• Santiago, Chile's NUCLEAR have made their album Jehovirus available for streaming in its entirety over at their Bandcamp page. Fans of metal in the vein of Slayer really need to check this out. Jehovirus is ruthless thrash at its best.


• Brazilian thrashers WOSLOM have released a new video for their song Mortal Effect, taken from the Time to Rise album. Catchy riffage in this one. In the video, WOSLOM takes on the evils of consumerism. Now go buy the WOSLOM album and t-shirt! ;)

Check it out!





• Montreal's resident thrash drunkards ALCOHOLATOR have just released a new song titled The Chamber. You like to combine your thrash with drinkin'? Dumb question. Check it out below!

Review: SSS - Problems to the Answer

SSS
Problems to the Answer
Earache

Typically, with crossover thrash, one can think of old school punk-infused groups such as D.R.I. and Cryptic Slaughter, or newer bands such as Municipal Waste, In Defence, and Blunt Force Trauma. With these and other bands similar to their specific styles, some may tip closer to punk, some may mix more metal, and some will go straight-up hardcore.

However, in the case with SSS, as demonstrated on their most recent album Problems to the Answer, the scales tip every which way, from full-on punk, to hardcore, grind, and thrash metal. One song may be pure to one of these genres while the next may incorporate them all seamlessly, without stumbling or feeling disjointed, proving that SSS are the very definition of modern crossover.

For over 40 pummeling minutes, SSS tears through short and sweet numbers such as Birdshit and Laughing Leads to Crying. Just before the music risks stumbling into repetition of blazing beats and swift barks, SSS hits us with "longer" cuts such as the headbanging Eat Me Burn Me Drink Me, which main riff sounds like a killer 90s Napalm Death breakdown.

Those looking for a bit more riffage in their crossover can find monster and catchy guitar work in songs such as Tales Out of School and Dismantle the Dream.

To use a variety of genres and manage to give them a unified sound is SSS's best accomplishment as well as a testament to their abilities in writing a brand of heavy music that utilizes each of them to make Problems to the Answer a success.