EXALOUD ROCKS!

Although I am frequently updating the NWOTM Blog’s Facebook page, I’ve been keeping this site dark until I can devote some time toward its redesign. However, a feller by the name of Aldo posted the name “EXALOUD” on the afore-mentioned Facebook page, and possessing such a curious soul, I looked these guys up online.

Needless to say, I found Exaloud, and so here I am dusting off the NWOTM Blog to brag about the extreme ass-kicking these Russian based thrashers delivered to me. MY GOD!!!!

However, before my well needed ass-kicking, during my research I found a handful of live videos of Exaloud performing a mass of Metallica cover tunes. Not bad, but not knowing anything about these guys, I thought they were simply a local cover band with maybe a couple mediocre originals thrown in for fun.

Was I in for a rude awakening!

Their name led me to a nondescript Facebook page as well as a Russian social media page (which I cannot read). So I still had zero info on these guys, but I was eventually led to their Soundcloud page, and this is where the thrash heavens opened up.

What I found were eleven songs of riff-laden aggression. Thrash metal that could easily rival the best of ‘em. While one could hear the old-school Metallica/Megadeth worship in these tunes (LOTS of Mustaine-driven bad-assery), Exaloud took these influences and breathed new life in the genre, creating a batch of songs that are vibrant and hungry.

The dynamics to each tune are pure ear candy, and the solos (as well as the rhythms under them) become living beasts, standing out as vital parts to the song structure.

I must make mention again of the riffs throughout - all tight, catchy, and damn near perfect. I would pick out a highlight, but since I am still digesting these marvelous tunes, I can’t pinpoint a favorite. I can only say that I would be hard-pressed to find any filler within these eleven songs.

Exaloud is a triumphant step up for the New Wave of Thrash Metal and if there is justice in the world, the band will eventually rake in legions of fans to savor what they have to offer. I hope this little write-up can help in the slightest.

Check out all eleven tracks below!! YEAH!!!!

Thanks, Aldo!!!

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.

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!

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!

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!!

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.

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: Lich King - Born of the Bomb

Why the hell isn't LICH KING getting pushed by a solid record label? Surely their last two efforts earned a spot next to Evile, Diamond Plate, Gama Bomb, Bonded By Blood, etc., as far as well-written, quality thrash metal.

Even if the naysayers scoff at Lich King for being unoriginal or too goofy to be taken seriously, one would still have to admit there is an appeal to Lich King's music, whether one understands it or not.

Personally, I understand the music's appeal for me. I freakin' enjoy old-school thrash metal, and Lich King knows how to write a kick-ass song. Period.

Way back when Lich King released "Combat Mosh" as a teaser to the new album, the driving riffs and head banging dynamics had my mouth watering to hear more. That was approximately one year ago, so it's a good thing I didn't hold my breath until Born of the Bomb's release. In fact, I remember thinking what the hell was taking so long in popping that new album out…you know, since I am Mr. Impatient. I mean, Lich King offers up a couple samples to taste and an absolutely killer album cover, and they expect me to calmly wait while they seemingly stall the recording process (something I seriously doubt they did)?

Now although I was impressed with the teaser songs (which also included Wage Slave and the fantastic We Came to Conquer), I wasn't expecting anything more or anything less from the new Lich King album than a few well-written thrash tunes ranging from good to great which will occupy my car CD player for the next month or two as I drive to and from work.

Well, scratch that sh*t right now. I may not have been expecting anything more from BotB than a few well-written thrash tunes, but what I got instead is a monster of a metal album that will most certainly do more than occasionally occupy my car CD player. What I got is a full-on solid slab of hungry thrash metal that will rule in my music listening rotation for a long time to come.

From the get-go, I really dug the short, sweet, and heavy-as-hell opener All Hail. However, I freakin' knew I hit pay dirt with this album once the two following familiar songs lead into In The End, Devastation. This track is the teeth-gritting stomp and blistering thrash attack I crave in my metal. The chugging riffs actually bring to mind early Pro-Pain and vocalist Tom Martin's use of dynamics between his vocal rhythms and the music's metal onslaught is perfection.

Other highlights include Agnosticism, which at first was my only weak link on the album until the actual music of the track sunk in and completely infected me. The song's initial build-up to an incursion of stomping thrash is mirrored in pure awesomeness by the solo sections of impactful musical prowess. i.e. It's bad-ASS.

Another killer track is Axe Cop, a razor-sharp thrash smasher with a chorus fans will definitely shout while submerged within the song's insanity.

The closer, Lich King IV (Born of the Bomb) ups the dosage of brain-sick riffage and pure thrash tempos that will make even the most hardened Vio-lence fan smile.

So yes, I may have been whining about how long it took to finally hear the full album after the first teaser release, however, I have to keep in mind that top-notch takes time. What's better than top-notch thrash, right? With Born of the Bomb, Lich King stepped up the quality and created a herculean thrash metal album more than worthy of our time as fans of the genre.

So why isn't Lich King getting a well-earned push by a solid record label? I don't know, but it's their loss. Absolutely one of the best of 2012.


Lich King's Facebook page.
Buy Born of the Bomb here.

No Weekend Breakdown post, but that's okay because OSTGTKU ROCKS!

Sorry, I don't have the time for a full-blown Weekend Breakdown post, but I am going to at least share one killer band that recently caught my ear.

Check out Pennsylvania's aptly named OH SHIT THEY'RE GOING TO KILL US. These guys specialize in speedy riff-laden crossover bringing to mind a mix of Gama Bomb and Violentor with a kick of traditional metal to make the tunes that much more epic! If you're a thrash fan (and I have a sneaking suspicion that a couple of you are), OSTGTKU has something for everyone, and that "something" will kick your teeth down your throat…in a good way.

As far as OSTGTKU's history, I am in the dark a bit. What I do know is they have a couple full length albums out and have recently released a new EP titled Combat Shock. I plan on doing a bit more research and getting my hands on everything these guys have released (musically, that is). I love this stuff!

Here are a bunch of band links for you. Now check out the goodies below and please try not to break something.

Hey, Striking Death! Get your demo recorded!

Thanks goes to Luuk Hoogland for tipping me off on a few new bands. One of them, called STRIKING DEATH, popped out video that is about as lo-fi as you can get and still get killer sounding guitars!

These young dudes from Belgium hooked me with the vid to their song Team Shitfaced. The recording is a rehearsal track and it's raw as hell, but the song is a lot of fun (as is the video). Seriously, watching this vid makes me want to assemble a few of my buddies, grab some guitars, and slam out some old-school thrash - all in the name of having a kick-ass fun time.

If you're thumbing your nose at Striking Death for being low-brow "pizza thrash" (a term I don't find the least bit insulting), give a quick listen to the promising demo of their song Save a Skater, Drain a Pool (awesome title!). So far the recording is comprised of guitars and drums only, but it sounds absolutely slamming! I can't wait to hear the full version. In fact, I can't wait to hear the full demo!

So get to work, Striking Death! Get your tunes recorded!

Check out the vids below and if you are one to keep your eye on a blossoming young thrash group, hit them up on Facebook.

Like A Texas Murder offers the gift of FREE crossover thrash!

A while back, I wrote about a group of bad-ass Brazilian crossover crushers called Like A Texas Murder. Well, in case you didn't know, the band has graciously offered both of their stellar albums Grindcore Caiçara and Tudo de Ruim as free downloads over on their bandcamp page!

Both albums are searing slabs of hardcore thrash that slam with speedy guitar work, killer vocals, and chunky breakdowns, complete with some unpredictable twists and dynamics.

Download the albums here and then don't forget to send them a message on Facebook to thank 'em for the free ass-stomping!

Thrash Zone Radio

There is a relatively new online radio station called Thrash Zone Radio that is dedicated to this blog's favorite genre of metal.

These guys play all things THRASH, from crossover, Bay Area, Teutonic, new wave, old-school, underground, and everything in between. If you're a fan, this station is for you.

For a direct link, go here. If you're streaming iTunes, hit them up in Radio - Hard Rock/Metal - Thrash Zone Radio.

If you're interested, Facebook them here.

The NWOTM Blog: Year One!

Last November I got the idea to start a blog featuring new wave of thrash bands and their influences.

Now, a year later, The NWOTM Blog is going strong, highlighting bands both signed and unsigned from all over the world. The NWOTM Blog Facebook page has gained a stunning amount of followers, and I am thankful to all the bands and fans who frequently visit that page.

When I began The NWOTM Blog, the original intent was always to feature the local band from down the block. Your friend's band. The local thrash band that kicks the hell out of that 7th tier signed metal group they opened for last weekend. Of course I would write about some of the big boys from the old and new school, but the grassroots is where it's at. There are so many hidden gems floating around the dark corners of the internet that it would almost be a disservice of this blog to not bring them to the forefront.

The hidden gems appeal to me so much because I remember what it's like to be in a band, trying to get your name and music out to the potential fans. Getting a band's name in articles, reviews and on posters is a big deal and although some don't want to admit they need it, such promotion gives a little validation to all the blood and sweat a band pours into their art. When others take notice, it's freaking cool.

Of course, beyond the "cool" factor of having your band included in an article or review is the solid promotion. It adds a few more Facebook "likes" and maybe a couple more albums sold. Ah, the swelling of the fan base. That's where I like to help.

First and foremost, I am a fan of thrash metal (obviously). So naturally, I want to see killer thrash bands thrive.

A year ago I would do a lot of digging for new bands, with successful discoveries almost every time I searched the net. The amount of incredible thrash bands out there writing new music is astounding. I can't keep up!

When I came across bands such as Sword of Judgement, Unhoped, Shredhead, 4ARM, Ecopolis, Hellbrain, and many others, I was blown away with the discovery, eager to share them with you all.

Now since The NWOTM Blog has taken flight, I don't have to do too much digging anymore because I get flooded with requests from bands all over the world for a demo feature or review. I'm not complaining - I freaking' LOVE it! My only problem is the time to write about all this great music I am hearing. Although writing about ALL these awesome bands is near impossible, I do the best I can.

The ROCKS! and the Weekend Breakdown posts (as well as this whole blog) are essentially love letters to my favorite genre of metal as well as a Thank You to those flying its flag.

Now I can't end this post without mentioning a few words about the one and only Lenny Troo Frasher.

Lenny was born of the ridiculous and self-contradicting insults that are spewed all over the web regarding the NWOTM. The "thrash elitist" (hahaha) who believes that new = sucks. Frankly, the attitude of "I love thrash so much that I hate thrash" confounds me. Although the absurdity of such an attitude is maddening, absurdity leads to good comedy.

Enter Lenny Troo Frasher.

His elitist take on new thrash makes him the butt of the joke, even through his own scathing insults hurled toward the genre - a genre of music he claims to love as long as it's not put out after 1990.

The addition of the Lenny Troo Frasher comic to the blog had the site hits go through the roof every time a new one is posted. I'm happy you all enjoy the running gag as much as I like writing it.

Now as far as what I really like about The NWOTM Blog (other than getting free music) is the correspondence with the bands and their fans. I love talking thrash! One guy named Christopher G. commented to me, "Dude, this is the only blog I even care about."

That meant a lot to me, offered me a ton of validation for the love I put into promoting my favorite genre of metal, and helps me keep going.

So thank you all for sticking around to watch this blog grow. My hope is that The NWOTM Blog will be around for at least another year.

Stay metal!

\m/


- r. lawrence blake

Legionary ROCKS!

Those of you who who were (or are) fans of the early 90s death metal explosion need to sit up and take notice. New York's LEGIONARY take a chunk of the early Florida death and mix in some late 80s thrash to create some killer face-ripping metal.

There are a ton of crushing, chugging, and rolling riffs in each song, but it isn't all Suffocation or Origin-like insanity. Sure, you are treated to occasional blast beats, but Legionary makes sure there is plenty of room for some straightforward headbanging riffs and tempos. Needless to say, Legionary's music is freakin' heavy as hell and I can't stop jamming to it.

Helping the music hit the mark is the production on Legionary's demo recording, which is clear and tight. With such attention to detail to their song craft as well as it's execution shows that Legionary are as serious about kicking your ass as they are taking themselves to the next level. What's the next level? Let's keep an eye on them and find out. I know I will.

Check out the two available songs below and then catch them here on Facebook and Reverbnation.

New Hatchet songs available for FREE!

The Bay Area thrash masters HATCHET have released two songs off their label-shopping promo CD.

These two tracks, titled Signals of Infection and Screams of the Night, are killer cuts of straight up thrash metal! So for those of you who want to add more Hatchet into your thrash arsenal alongside their Awaiting Evil album, these tracks are available as a FREE download!

Click here to check out and download the new tunes, and if you haven't already, go "like" Hatchet on Facebook!

New track from Mentally Defiled!

Here is a new track from Greek thrashers Mentally Defiled titled Retro Nerd.

The theme of the lyrics remind me of Sabbath's Iron Man, except it's geared toward comic book/D&D geeks.

As a comic/old-school rpg geek, I knew lots of dudes as described in this song and it makes me glad that I was never the type to bully.

The music is pure old-school thrash, as killer as anything Mentally Defiled has put out. I love these guys!

Check it out below, and you don't know about Mentally Defiled yet, go to their Reverbnation page here and get...more...METAL!

Reanimaniacs offering a Fistful of Thrash for free

Italy's crossover thrashers Reanimaniacs are playing like a summer Santa Claus and offering their first EP Fistful of Thrash for FREE!

Why should you care? Well first of all, it is FREE freakin' THRASH. If that isn't enough to motivate you, consider the opinion of one metal blogger (me), that the music is killer. However, I'll admit that I'm a tad biased since these guys write on their bio that they grew up on pizza, hardcore and splatter flicks - all a common bond between members that began as a force in forming Reanimaniacs (...pizza??). Anyway, that kind of warms my old heart.

You know what else warms my heart? Free thrash.

Go here to learn more about the band and then go here to download Fistful of Thrash!

More thrash! Sentenced on Sunday, Magnetron, Ruppthritis, Mortal Mess

These posts where I list three or four bands to check out will eventually become a weekly feature. The post will be called the Weekend Breakdown and will feature a list of bands to add to your thrash arsenal.

Hopefully, I can get that rolling within the next couple of weeks. So, until then, let's get on with the thrash!


SENTENCED ON SUNDAY
Chicago, IL seems to be a breeding ground for great metal and Sentenced On Sunday are thrashing it up with the best of 'em. This is relentless, pounding metal helped along by the jack-hammering double bass drumming skills of Toby Nickles. SOS's music is equivalent to getting shoved into a barrel and rolled down a steep rocky hill. It'll beat the hell out you and you'll thank them for it.

Check out their song Predator. Facebook page here.






MAGNETRON
Killer fast deathrash from the Netherlands who pack hard-hitting metal with furious drums and fist-raising gang vocals. These guys just recorded a new album and I am more than anxious to hear it. MAGNETRON!!!

Check out their tune Born Witless. Facebook page here.





RUPPTHRITIS
This Balwin, NY band add many flavors to their metal. It's thrash with hints of traditional metal, groove, and hard rock. Ruppthritis have truly inspired moments of killer riffage that keep the songs fresh and interesting.

Check out their tune and then check them out here.






MORTAL MESS
Another Chicago, IL band, Mortal Mess creates chugging metal with raw punk sensibilities. I can't say enough about how the riffs on here simply freaking rock. Simple and dynamic, the music has the listener nodding along with a pissed sneer on the face.

Listen and then Facebook 'em here.

More thrash! Kemakil, Smash Potater, and Incarnit

KEMAKIL
Kemakil's origins extend back to 1988, playing some decently high-profile local gigs around the Ipswich and Suffolk areas until they split in 1990. Although they reformed in 2007, their hearts still remain with the old-school.

As far as influences go, Kemakil has one foot in the Bay Area and the other dipping a toe in Germany, all used as a blueprint in constructing killer songs of no-frills thrash metal.

Listen to the excellence of Blood Removal Machines and then check out Kemakil here.





SMASH POTATER
Ah, I can hear the "serious" thrash fans out there scoffing. Well, screw it, 'cause we're talking about the legends of Aurora, IL here - SMASH POTATER - and I believe that these guys will eventually reach cult status outside of their local thrash circles. Or go platinum with their debut...what the hell do I know?

Bad ass and fun, the 'Taters roll out an array of catchy riffs and witty lyrics. A song about Zombie Bees? Classic. But just because Smash Potater can have a bit of fun with their topics doesn't limit them to be a simple novelty band. They create some stomp-worthy thrash to be used as kindling to kick off a roaring circle pit.

Check out Livin' to Thrash, Thrashin' to Live and click here for more on Smash Potater!




INCARNIT
Based on a couple songs I heard on Reverbnation, I thought Sweden's Incarnit were trying to forefront the melancholy thrash movement. That is not a dig because the songs, one with a slow churning tempo (The Starets) and the other written with sweeping emotion (Demons), caught my attention.

Admittedly, I didn't get into these songs as much. The Starets begins well enough, but begins to stretch out in tedious lengths. Demons is actually a killer song. The riffs rock and the solos are gorgeous, but the parts that are supposed to build and show some muscle don't have the dynamics to make those muscles flex (example: at 3:30 to 3:23 and into the solo riff, it simply feels flat).

However, as I mentioned, there was something about Incarnit's songs that compelled me to seek out more of their material. Out of the plethora of thrash bands I was listening to while researching for my blog, Incarnit kept creeping back into my mind!

When I visited Incarnit's YouTube page, I came across a couple other songs that were more to my liking. Songs such as Suffer and Home are tight thrash numbers that really highlight Incarnit's songwriting abilities. At times they bring to mind material found on Evile's debut album, but far more interesting. Their touches of traditional metal add a nice dimension to their songs.

Incarnit's music is good and the potential for these guys to begin writing all-out thrash classics is just within their reach. I am definitely going to keep my eye on this band as they progress. I can't wait to see where they go from here.

Stream their vid and then check out Incarnit here.

More music! Hellbrain, D.N.R., and Bludvera!

HELLBRAIN

Hellbrain from Genève play a combination of thrash, death, and everything in between, to create a vicious form of music with layers upon layers of intensity. Switching from headbanging fury to industrial-precision gallops to groove-based death 'n' roll, Hellbrain seem to have their work cut out for them when writing songs.

There seems to be a lot involved, but the songs are far from disjointed. Hellbrain guides the listener through a labyrinth of sonic fury, extended beyond traditional death or thrash metal, yet firmly rooted in within the genres.

Hellbrain might not be for everyone, but those looking for a switch-up from the typical while maintaining the heaviness, give 'em a try.

Listen to a couple of their tunes and then check out Hellbrain here.

D.N.R.

For those who don't like their thrash mixed with the flavors of hardcore and 90s-flavored stomp will probably streer clear of Brazil's D.N.R., but only doing so to their own detriment. Too bad, because D.N.R. plays some crushingly heavy music that most fans of hardcore-laden death and thrash would embrace.

The band claims influences such as Machine Head, Napalm Death, and Brazil's own R.D.P., so if any of this appeals to you, by all means, check 'em out. If not, check 'em out anyway - you might accidently like something.

Note: The lyrics are all in Portuguese, but it didn't bother me at all. Eu gosto! Muito legal.

Listen and then go here for more on D.N.R.!

BLUDVERA

On the more traditional front, we have Liverpool's Bludvera. Drawing from their influence of old-school monsters including the gamut of both Bay Area and German bands, Bludvera keep their thrash pure, fast and heavy.

Songs such as Maniac and Total Recall contain killer riffs, fist-waving gang shouts, and pit-worthy moments that bring to mind Vio-lence and Bonded by Blood.

Bludvera are supposed to be working on new stuff now and I'm excited to hear it. Meanwhile, take a listen to Maniac and then head over to their website and download their demo for freaking FREE!

METAL!