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!!
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.
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.
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------
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!
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.
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!
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!!!
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/
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!
The New Wave of Thrash Metal Blog is proud to present "Lich King IV (Born of the Bomb)", an all-new track from the mighty LICH KING! This tune comes from the brand-spankin' new album titled Born of the Bomb, to be released tomorrow (Friday, September 28th).
To help forge the new track into the stellar piece of bad-assery that it is, Lich King IV (Born of the Bomb) also features Jay Visser and Patrick Lind of the legendary MORBID SAINT!
Just so you know, Lich King is debuting other tracks from the album on the following blogs:
So make sure you head their way after you get a blistering taste of pure metal right here. After you check out the tunes, go tell Lich King how much you dig 'em on their Facebook page and then order Born of the Bombhere!
Here is the beginning of something great. Italy's gutter thrash giants VIOLENTOR have released a rough mix of Better Dead Than Slave, a new song off their upcoming album Rot.
The song is like getting hit with a club wrapped in barbed wire, and it's a pounding that fans of this type of metal will gladly accept.
If you dig their first album, check this stuff out! If you're new to Violentor, listen to Better Dead Than Slave and then hit up a couple of the videos provided below.
Swedish thrashers CONFLAGRATOR have finally announced the release of their new EP titled Inevitable Punishments. If you want to know more about the album, I posted about it here a couple months ago.
Here's all the info you need, right from the mouth of Conflagrator:
"Okay, finally we are happy to announce that our EP "Inevitable Punishments" is now for sale! 5€ + Shipping (the shipping price will vary depending on where you live) We ship worldwide! To order, just send us your billing information to: conflagrator@hotmail.com and we'll send you info about payment etc etc. We accept paypal users. To make up for all the time you had to wait for this release, we will personally sign every copy you guys order!"
Bad-ass, eh? Good times on the Conflagrator front!
Do yourself a favor and check out the tunes here (or check out the streaming vids below) and if you find that you cannot live without the EP, follow the steps described above and snag a copy for yourself.
I found myself with a tiny smidgen of time so I thought I'd let you all know that NUCLEAR OMNICIDE have released the title track to their upcoming EBM Records release.
The song is titled The Presence of Evil and it runs a freakin' marathon of pure thrash riffage, ranging from the slow, sick and brooding to the galloping stomp to headbanging ferocity. Mind you, this is all within the first two and a half minutes BEFORE the vocals even kick in!
Benny Raivio's vocals are absolutely sick, offering up a throaty deathrash that fits well with Nuclear Omnicide's venomous music. The music itself is tight and mean as hell. I can't wait to hear the full album!
I've been following the California death metal-men SKELETAL REMAINS for a while now. They recently released an album preview of their upcoming debut titled Beyond the Flesh, and it's making me anxious for its release this November.
Their previous release, the Desolate Isolation EP, absolutely crushes with killer riffs and one hell of a sick vocalist. Judging by what I've heard on the preview clips, Beyond the Flesh is going kick just as much ass. Again, I can't wait to hear the full album!
If you're an old-school death metal fan then you should definitely check out Desolate Isolation (streaming below) as well as the album preview. Afterward, hit them up here.
Swedish thrashers CONFLGRATOR have returned with an outright killer EP titled Inevitable Punishments.
The three song release takes everything I liked about this band and kicks it up a notch. One thing working in Conflagrator's favor is their willingness to ride a killer riff. I love it when a band can hit a sweet spot with a riff and just let it breathe for a while. Conflagrator are not afraid of a drawn-out build to their songs. The builds are far from boring, injecting each tune with character before vocalist Isak Koskinen Rosemarin storms in with his rough energetic set of pipes.
Rosemarin sounds like a pro here. He doesn't overindulge, preferring vocals that are well placed, dynamic and powerful.
Guitarist Alex Fotiadis has outdone himself on the new songs. His solos are well thought out, flying over the songs' sweeping and churning rhythms.
Inevitable Punishments is a tight, mean, son of a bitch of epic thrash metal. Right now the EP is streaming on the band's Facebook page. As of this writing, the band has promised an update of how to obtain a physical copy in the coming days and I would more than recommend picking it up once it becomes available for purchase.
Tantara's self-released EP Human Mutation set the stage for a promising young metal band who know the art of well-crafted thrash metal tunes. The EP garnered Tantara an underground swell of well-deserved support from all over the world. After all, Human Mutation was a damn good EP, causing many fans to wonder where the immediate future would take the band.
When word got out that legendary music producer Flemming Rasmussen was tapped to handle their debut album Based on Evil, the fan base gave an overwhelming positive response. However, to have such a famous name tied to the band's debut album comes with expectations on their delivery: They either bring it or they bite off more than they can chew.
Well, if Human Mutation was a welcome kick in the ass, then Based on Evil is a full-on neck breaking body slam. Any worries that Tantara might drop the ball on their highly anticipated debut will cast aside all doubt after the opening title track begins with a short slow grind before driving into a full thrashing assault.
It's mind boggling how good this album is, because beyond the killer galloping riffs, the ripping vocals, and attention-grabbing dynamics, there is a distinct hunger emanating from the band that sharpens each track to a dangerous and gut-passionate edge. It's not something you can fake, and with all the excitement, sweat, blood, and devotion Tantara has for thrash metal, Based on Evil is as real as it gets.
There are many highlights, including the mid-paced, pissed-off bad-assery of Mass Murder, and Prejudice of Violence which includes a chorus of gang vocals that brings to mind its usage on Vio-Lence'sEternal Nightmare album. In fact, the gang vocals peppered throughout all of Based on Evil are horns-up metal as hell!
As a natural balance to the blistering madness, Tantara ties in acoustical parts that flow in and out of select songs, adding a haunting tranquility that rings of caution instead of happiness. The beginning of Killing of Mother Earth is an alluring homage to early Testament, complete with Skolnick-esque soloing that blends seamlessly with the underlying music. Along these same lines, the symphonic ending to Prejudice of Violence is absolutely stunning.
There are a lot of bands that put out good, solid albums, but there are fewer that are able to bare their fangs while putting forth music that sounds so well-crafted and purposeful. Based on Evil is an important album for the new wave of thrash, as it demonstrates that the genre is far from dead in the water.
Check out the album single Trapped in Bodies below and then follow them on Facebook here.
In case you have been under a rock for the past few hours, TANTARA has released a preview of their upcoming album Based on Evil. We are treated to roughly 30 seconds of each track, teasing us with what should turn out to be a phenomenal thrash metal album.
From what I can tell, the production is stellar. I just can't WAIT to get my hands on the full album. ARGGH!!!
Tantara just posted their cover of the Metallica classic Disposable Heroes. This is excellent work for something they seemingly did just for fun (or good promo for their upcoming debut album).
The musicianship is tight, but it would have to be to get Metallica's ridiculously insane e-string gallops perfect. The coolest parts of the cover are the solos - they sound so full and rich. All in all, I dig this.
Hopefully this is just a taste of extra bits we can expect from the mighty Tantara, even after they come out full force with the release of Based On Evil!
Australia's 4ARM is going to release their new album Submission For Liberty through Rising Records on February 6th.
But, hey! You don't have to wait until then to hear 4ARM's next 10 tracks of pure bad-assery because the album is now streaming in its entirety over at SDMETAL! I've been listening to Submission of Liberty's onslaught of killer modern thrash and it absolutely crushes. The songwriting is thoroughly engrossing and should stand as a beacon to those wanting a fresh injection in their metal collection. Danny Tomb's vocals rampage within the the flowing barrage of tight riffs and on-cue dynamics, all together creating an album that is a must-have for modern thrash enthusiasts.
Submission For Liberty is one hell of an album. Check it out for yourself...
Foresta and Landphil from Municipal Waste have found another outlet to kick our crusty asses with their new band Iron Reagan.
The music is stripped down to the bone, raging on the intensity of pummeling speed and searing vocals. Fans of blistering fast hardcore will find much to enjoy as they quickly devour the four available songs that slam the listener like a welcoming bat to the chops.
Foresta is truly giving hell with his killer vocal delivery, and at times he renders his well-known sound unrecognizable, offering up some powerhouse screams that bring to mind the likes of Daryl Taberski of Snapcase.
The bottom line is that Iron Reagan is an aggressively fun listen. If you have approximately five or so minutes to spare, check out the entire album below. Afterward hit them up on Bandcamp because the band was kind enough to offer a "name your price" to download!
