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!!
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!
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.
Here are a couple new thrash videos for all you freaks who require a little eye candy to go with your metal!
First we have Toxic Terror from the Greek thrashmasters EXARSIS! This tune comes out with all guns blazing, kicking out a full-throttle thrash assault that should bring pleasurable pain to the ears of thrash fans everywhere.
Alex's vocals might be an acquired taste, but I think he is freakin' awesome as he simple KILLS it here. Look for Toxic Terror to be included on Exarsis's upcoming album The Brutal State!
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Next we have the riff-hammering thrash of Brazil's ownJackDevil. Their song Under the Metal Command is a speedy mass of blazing guitar hooks and headbanging bliss! JackDevil has a knack for writing some catchy and brutal thrash metal.
Watch and thrash out to the video below and then keep up with them here and here.
Here is South London's own KREMATED and their killer love letter to thrash metal - the new video Thrash Ain't Dead and it freakin' crushes!
If you don't know about Kremated, here is the description taken right off their Facebook page (because I am too lazy to form my own write-up today):
“Combining a genuine love of 1980’s underground Thrash Metal with a touch of East Coast Hardcore and old school Crustpunk, this is a no holds barred pissed off full frontal attack, and very pit-friendly, spanning the gaps between full-tilt Speed Metal, dirty beatdowns and punk rants. Imagine Exodus, Bulldoze and The Exploited having a punchup at Celtic Frost's rehearsal space."
I couldn't have said it better myself. Kremated is all-out fun, so check out the vid below and hit them up here and here.
THRASH AIN'T DEAD!!!
At least it better not be. After all, I have this blog to maintain and update.
A few months ago I posted about Austria's killer crossover thrashers INSANITY ALERT and their hilarious parody song Run to the Pit.
Now
these guys have released a video for their tune Glorious Thrash. It's a
rather simple video, but one that I absolutely love because the setting
reminds me of what my old band practice space looked like (although
theirs is a LOT cleaner). They just need a dirty, beer-soaked couch in
the corner for their friends to burn cigarette holes into.
The song itself is a speedy, mosh-worth slab of thrash…Glorious Thrash, that is. WOOOOO!
Check out the tune. if you dig it, well then, Insanity Alert have made their demo available as a FREE freakin' download!
A big congratulations to the all-female thrash group NERVOSA on their new deal with Napalm Records!
If you haven't heard these Brazilian thrashers yet, take the time and check out their vid for their song Master Betrayer. It is pure thrash savagery, full of non-stop aggression which seems to be a staple for many kick-ass Brazilian thrash bands (Deathraiser, Violator, Woslom, Bonebreaker, etc.).
The album is scheduled to come out sometime later this year, and I can't wait to hear it!
If you dig their sounds, give 'em a like on Facebook.
Let's start this weekend's post with a bang! On a recent thrash search, I came across CRUSHER, a monster of a thrash band out of the Ukraine. Some of you may have already heard their album Endless Torment from Metal Scrap Records, but those of you who are not privy to their sound, check them out and be slammed by some old-school thrash worship.
Songs such as Living For… and S(k)atanic Ride are full-on scorchers of road burn METAL! With songs such as Politishit, Crusher keeps the tunes interesting by throwing in pounding riffs and left field dynamics.
I want to make a ton of puns about how Crusher's music will CRUSH your head in, but I won't. Instead I will state that Crusher is a very impressive group of thrashers who will SMASH your face in! See how different that was?
Watch their vid, listen to their tune and then hit them up on Facebook!
Hey, congratulations to Finland's NUCLEAR OMNICIDE! This young band inked a deal with with the mighty EBM Records and will have a new album out sometime this year. I can't believe they are all under the age of 20. Frickin' prodigies.
Anyway, in case you missed my tiny-ass mention I made about them in one of last month's Weekend Breakdown posts, check out the killer tune below. Afterward, if you are so inclined, hit them up on Facebook and ask them, "Are you one of the thrash bands that have 'Nuclear' in your name?"
The guys in Nuclear Omnicide, just as the guys in the bands Nuclear Assault, Nuclear Torment, Nuclear Sentence, Nuclear Wasteland, Nuclear Monstrosity, Nuclear Theatre, Nuclear Decay, Nuclear Nature, Nuclear Tempest, Nuclear Vomit, Nuclear Winter, Nuclear Desolation, Nuclear Frost, Nuclear Age, Nuclear Disorder, Holocausto Nuclear, Nuclear Decadence, Nuclear Gore, Nuclear Sushi, Nuclear Chaos, Everyday Nuclear Demonstration, Comando Nuclear, Among Nuclear Winter, Nuclear Scorn, Nuclear Agony, Nuclear Decimation, Nuclear Applepants, Nuclear Danger, Nuclear Collision, Nuclear WarMachine, Abismo Nuclear, Nuclear Infection, Nuclear Sarcophagus Politics, Nuclear Panda, Nuclear Waste, Nuclear Sun Rise, Diarrea Nuclear, Nuclear Brains, Nuclear Scum, Nuclear Warheads, Nuclear Beast, Nuclear Skull, Nuclear Funeral, Nuclear Pizza Party, Energy Nuclear, Nuclear Infantry, Nuclear Fight, Nuclear Genocide, Nuclear Clown, Nuclear Scars, Nuclear Power, Nuclear Death, Nuclear Devastation, Nuclear Disaster, Nuclear Hell, Abismo Nuclear, Nuclear Aggressor and Nuclear would all answer "Yes, we are!"
Speaking of NUCLEAR, have you heard their killer cover of Slayer's Silent Scream? So I assume these guys whip this cover out when the one or two drunk dudes in the audience inevitably yell, "SLAAAAYER!" They now need to learn Children of the Cult for the many times folks in the audience yell, "INSINNERATOR!" It happens.
LA thrashers SCYTHE have released their new song End of Days. This song will be one of the tracks on the new Scythe album Defying To Exist to be released on March 6th! For more details, hit them up on Facebook. Meanwhile, check out the new tune below.
Another killer release on March 6th will be physical copies of Transcending Reality, the debut EP from TESTIMONY! Once Tuesday rolls around, those interested in snatching up a copy need to head on over to Testimony's Bigcartel site. Why? Because that's where you buy it, man. That's where you buy it.
St. Paul crossover heroes IN DEFENCE are presently on tour, violating the southern U.S. with their pizza-hating shenanigans (and music playing). If you are in their path, make your way to the venue and have a killer time.
On April 27th, NoiseArt Records are kicking out a re-release of Fueled By Fire's second album Plunging Into Darkness. This release will be a blue vinyl pressing with the new bonus track Deadly Restraints. This is actually pretty kick-ass. I need to get my hands on a damn record player!
It escapes me who recently introduced me to TUCK FROM HELL, but I need to thank him or her or it. This Swedish band kicks your teeth in with an adrenaline boosting mix of Slayer, Testament, and Judas Priest, which makes for a rolling mass of stomping metal that any headbanger can run with.
Musically apt, Tuck From Hell offers up some hella tight riffage, technical melodies, and perfectly forceful Chuck Billy-esque vocals. The bottom line is Tuck From Hell is an all-out killer metal band.
Listen below, like 'em on Facebook, and remember…tell your friends!
Hey, Dr. Livingdead! Please tour the states! You too, Tantara! And YOU Essence! And 4ARM! And...(These call-outs for a U.S. tour are worth a shot. However, we can't even get Lich King to get their collective ass over to Kansas City, and they LIVE in the States.)
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.
KK STREET BANGERS Does their name sound like a mid-80s NY rap group? Sure, but believe me that once you crank into a KK Street Bangers song, all thoughts of break dancing turn to neck snapping as their brand of raging thrash slams your calloused brain into jelly.
This is dirty pissed-off thrash metal that storms along like a truck with a bloodied grill, picking off unwary victims who are not ready for the chugging mosh-worthy riff attack! The simple, yet effective riff that starts off the tune Street Metal is built for headbanging. I freakin' love it!
The only problem might be the lack of real drums in the recording, but that is a minor quibble since it doesn't really take away from the fun and power of KK Street Bangers's kick ass songs.
Listen below and then hit them up on Facebook here.
As a metal head, if you need to strengthen your neck muscles, Crisix is the perfect headbanger's workout band. Do some warmup stretches, check out the tune below, and try not to strain your neck.
DARK ENTROPY Listening to a band as talented and musically kick-ass as Dark Entropy is a bit frustrating at times. The music that this Illinois thrash band brings to the table is tight, heavy, and worthy of praise. Richard Spoo is a helluva drummer and the guitars of Matt Schering and Mike Maskas are chugging machines of fury.
However, the frustration lies with vocalist Rob Peto's delivery. Too many times he follows the rhythm of the drum or guitar riff. This practice would be fine in small doses, but the amount he mimics the rhythm kills any use of vocal dynamics and frankly becomes a bit distracting (such as in the chorus for Enlisted Suicide and throughout Sins of Our Fathers).
However, Peto's voice is more than capable to front a metal band. I would just like to hear him not adhere his delivery so much on the rhythm and instead use his vocals as another instrument that glides with the music and not just stick on top of it.
To say that Dark Entropy has potential is an understatement. Even with the problems I have with the vocal delivery, the band is still bad-ass. I'm definitely going to follow and keep my ears open to these guys and I'm anxious to see what they will crank out in the future.
Give them a listen below and then look into them over at Facebook.
EXELOUME I've seen the Ed Repka cover to Exeloume's album Fairytale of Perversion many time and have always meant to check them out. However, with hundreds of bands scattered around the woodwork, it's easy to pass over many worthy bands. And that sucks, man.
Recently, this Norwegian band was brought back to my attention, and I promptly hit the web to check out their goods. Damn, I HATE missing out on killer bands! To think that Exeloume was floating around all this time without damaging my thrash-hardened ears is disgraceful. I'll make up for that now.
Exeloume's brand of deathrash destroys with sweeping dynamics, hard hitting riffs, and blazing solos. Taking unpredictable turns, the music can dig into the depths of anger, to uplifting wonder, and then to utter chaos, bringing a sense of excitement to the musical journey Exelmoume leads us on.
Check out the tunes below and then follow them 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!
For those of you checking back here periodically only to find nothing in regards to new posts, I apologize. As I mention from time to time, I am backed up on my posts, holding back a queue of new thrash that grows in both numbers and impatience every day.
What is a one man army to do with so much kick-ass music and no earnestly given time to bring it to you in a number of well thought-out posts?
PURGE.
Here, I am offering up a list of bands that I found either through online research, word of mouth, or email requests. These bands have caught my ear one way or another and for the past couple of weeks, I've been meaning to present them to you all, but to no avail. So in one big sweep, I shall post snippets of all-out metal complete with song streams and links.
Now, don't mistake my purging without my typical long-ass gushing fanboy write-ups as any form of disrespect toward the bands on the following list. On the contrary - I dig 'em. That's why they are on the list. However, for the purposes of this particular post, my time is limited to just a few words per listing.
Go through the list. I doubt you'll like 'em all, but hopefully there will be a few gems in here that will bring out the Mosh Monster in you.
So here we go!
RAW & ORDER Raw and blazing thrash punk from Portland, Oregon. Their one-minute available song Speedhole has enough gruff and attitude to have me wanting to hear more!
WARHEAD Thrash-laden heavy metal out of California, full of catchy and driving riffs with clean vocals that remain rooted in 70's dark rock. Headbang to the riffage of State of Chaos and then hit them up here.
OSMIUM The now-defunct deathrash/speed band OSMIUM are absolutely pummeling. Band members included a couple dudes from the bad-ass deathrash band ECOPOLIS, all who helped forge Osmium's pit-inducing songs. As I listen to them, I still can't believe they didn't break out further than they did (although their music did end up on the Get Thrashed documentary).
P.T.O.M.A. Greek thrash/crossover with a sense of humor. Bad-ass driving thrash rhythms that bring to mind bits of Gama Bomb and Nuclear Assault. Listen to Wrath of the Anus and then keep tabs on them here.
BANE OF BEDLAM These guys hammer out a killer assault of Aussie metal that combines modern thrash, death metal, and groove that absolutely shreds. Get an ass kicking by listening to their tune Born of Metal and then keep up with them here.
STONELOAD This Swedish band mixes old-school thrash with modern metal nuances, creating catchy slabs of powerful aggression. I love their song Fallen One! Give it a listen and then hit them up on Facebook.
ELECTRIC VENGEANCE I loved these guys right from the start. There is simply too much…charm?…in Electric Vengeance's brutal lo-fi punk-fueled thrash attack. This is as raw as it gets and I would kill to see these guys live. Check them out below and then virtually meet them here.
INSANITARIUM Sick death metal out of Quebec that does a good job of ripping your face off with chunks of grind and thrash riffage. Insanitarium are both frenzied and headbang-able, so check them out below and then follow them at their Facebook HQ.
CHAOSITY Chaosity is a freakin' wall of sound, thrashing out a brutal offering of pissed-off death metal that hinges on catchy riffs and killer dynamics. Listen and then like 'em!
ARCHALAXIS What a killer band! There is something about this Belarus-born thrash group that grabs me by the throat and squeezes until my ears fill with a bloody mess of harsh, dynamic-laden METAL. By all means, give them a listen and if you like it, hit them up on Facebook for details on how to download their album for FREE!
NUCLEAR OMNICIDE Let me end on a killer thrashed-out note. I was tipped off by the mighty Lich King who seemed to really dig these guys. Nuclear Omnicide blasts the listener with a barrage of undiluted metal who uses everything in the thrash toolbox to deliver ample amounts of headbanging bliss. Listen and like!
Cincinnati's BEYOND THE DIVIDE has just released a new video for the song Hate Needs a Face as a taste for their upcoming album Dead Man's Porn. This is a stomping' metal tune with a head banging ominous riff throughout. Damn heavy! The album will be available as a FREE download on January 17th. Check back with them on Facebook for details on snatching up the album.
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The anticipation for NY's LEGIONARY to finally release their album Arcane Divisions has hit another peak. The death metal masters have unleashed another song off the upcoming album. The song, titled Embracing Trauma, kicks ass with tight musicianship and a drummer that is nothing less than a freakin' machine! Check it out below and then keep your eye out here for the album release date.
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Germany's MORTAL INFINITY have released a couple new songs from their upcoming District Destruction release. I liked their already-available songs, but the new ones really kick ass - especially the tune Radical Response. It begins with a slow stomp and never lets up on the heaviness, moving into speedy verses and a chorus that is sure to work the mosh pit into a fury.
Check out this monster song below and if you haven't liked them on Facebook yet, here's your chance, pal.
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I am all for pimping JUNGLE ROT's upcoming tour dates in dream-hazed hopes that they will eventually hit the Kansas City area. For those of you in the path of this rolling juggernaut, get in front and let it crush you, you lucky bastard.
3/01 - West Springfield, VA - Jaxx 3/02 - Reading, PA - Reverb 3/03 - New York, NY - The Gramercy Theatre 3/04 - Montreal, QUE - FouFounes 3/05 - Quebec City, QUE - Imperial de Quebec 3/06 - Toronto, ONT - Opera House 3/07 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall 3/08 - Cleveland, OH - Peabody’s 3/09 - Detroit, MI - Blondie’s 3/10 - Chicago, IL - Reggie’s Rock Club 3/11 - Mankato, MN - The Whats Up Lounge 3/12 - Winnipeg, MB - The Osbourne Village Inn 3/13 - Regina, SK - The Exchange 3/14 - Edmonton, AL - Starlite 3/15 - Calgary, AL - Dickens 3/16 - Kelowna , BC - Rutland Centennial Hall 3/17 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater 3/18 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon 3/19 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre 3/20 - San Francisco, CA - The Grand Ballroom 3/21 - West Hollywood, CA - House of Blues 3/22 - Flagstaff, AZ - The Orpheum Theater 3/23 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex 3/24 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater 3/26 - Dallas, TX - Trees 3/27 - Austin, TX - Emo’s Alternative Lounging 3/28 - New Orleans, LA - The Hangar 3/29 - Orlando, FL - The Club at Firestone
Headlining Dates
3/31 - Baltimore MD - Sonar 4/01 - Frederick, MD - Cafe 611 4/02 - Trenton, NJ - Championship Bar 4/03 - Albany, NY - Bogies 4/04 - Hampton Beach, NH - Wallys Pub 4/05 - Buffalo, NY - Broadway Joe's 4/06 - Portage, IN - Camelot Hall 4/07 - Crest Hill, IL - Bada Brew
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REDMIST DESTRUCTION's new album Nobility in Death is ready for your pre-order and will be shipped out on January 26th! The bonus: Free postage and it only costs £7 (or roughly $11 as of this writing). If you're interested, check it out here!
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Have you heard of the Czech Republic thrashers SIXTH DIMENSION? Well, now that you have and can't take it back, you may as well give their one available song a listen. The song, titled "Smrt za smrt" is a decent metal tune with plenty of head banging beats and a chorus that will force you to chant the song's title (as you wonder, what the f**k is a "SMRT?").
Check out the song below and then Facebook them here. SMRT!!!
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Now HERE is a killer band out of San Fernando Valley that will give your punk/metal lovin' ass a swift kick into the pit. MARAUDING GHOULS effortlessly blends bits of epic metal, speed, and balls-out rock with their onslaught of fist-flying old-school hardcore. Man, I love this kind of teeth-grinding aggression in my music. Bad. ASS.
Thrashmen LOST WORLD ORDER has released a trailer for their upcoming album titled Parasites. By the sound of this, February 24th can't come fast enough!
