Weekend Breakdown: Deathraiser, Subhuman, Head Crusher, and Vehement

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I am far behind in my reviews and wanted to get a couple written, but I also haven't posted a new Weekend Breakdown for a while. The backup of bands I have in waiting is overwhelming and I could have made this post an obnoxiously long one, featuring a dozen bands, but if I had time for that we wouldn't have so few posts this month, right?

Right.

So let's get into this week's...

DEATHRAISER
There are a slew of thrash bands that try to convey a deep meaning in their songwriting, holding the listener tenderly with moody transitions, overlong intros, and toe-tapping choruses. Others just want to tear your f***ing throat out.

Brazil's DEATHRAISER hammers out slaughtering thrash that rubs your face hard in the gravel of its relentless speed and aggression. These guys take a stripped-down Kreator approach to thrash and kick the speed up to almost unmanageable proportions. Do want the fury of a non-stop thrash assault? Then by all means, get your hands on Deathraiser's Violent Aggression album and let it pummel your ears bloody. Completely bad-ass.

Check out the streaming vids and then hit them up on Facebook.







SUBHUMAN
Italy's SUBHUMAN play killer death/thrash that is as tight and technically sound as it is brutal. The drums and guitars roll together in razor sharp precision, laying out a fierce foundation for vocalist "Zula" Ferzola's throat-mangling charge.

Subhuman slams out fast and searing metal. For those who lean on the death side of aggressive tunage, check them out below and then Facebook them here.







HEAD CRUSHER
HEAD CRUSHER originally formed in Colombia and are now located in Texas, forging a 10-year history of spreading their brand of Cavalera-tinged thrash/hardcore/death. These guys crank out fat hooks that combines vicious speed with mid-tempo groove. At times, they layer the songs with passionate slices of atmosphere to let the music take off in flight before nailing them back down with aggressive riffage. Cool stuff.

Listen below and follow them here.





VEHEMENT
We go back to Italy to find some crushing modern thrash in the form of VEHEMENT. These guys use many tools within the various extreme music genres to create their metal.Vehement pack a punch with a hammering onslaught of guitars and vocals that hint of aggressive hardcore without going completely crossover. At times, you'll catch a curve ball such as the NOLA-esque riffs and vocals in All That's Behind and the painfully brutal sludge in The Slow Drowning of Mortality.

Vehement is a killer band that blends its influences into coherent slabs of mean freaking' METAL. Check them out below and follow them here (If the stream below isn't working, go here to listen to their available streaming songs).

Lich King teaser to...Born of the Bomb!

Lich King have announced Born of the Bomb as the title of their upcoming 4th album in a video teaser released earlier today.

I am hyper excited to hear this album. The rough mix of Combat Mosh is killer, as is the background music to the teaser vid. Let us not forget that the cover art is one of the best, most eye-catching of all the Lich King albums (in my humble opinion).

So when is Born of the Bomb going to be out? Dunno. I imagine sometime next year, but I hope it is sooner than later. When I find out, I'll let ya'll know.

Check out the teaser below.

Thrashline: Exhorder gone?, new Smash Potater, Speedboozer and more!

There will be no Weekend Breakdown post this time around, but in this week's Thrashline bits of thrash news, there is plenty of kick ass new music to check out. Let's get to it!
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If you're like me, you shrugged your shoulders in disappointment after reading the news that vocalist Kyle Thomas and guitarist Jay Ceravolo quit Exhorder, seemingly killing off the band for good.

I guess it was just not meant to happen for these guys. I have been waiting with my hands wringing in mouth-slobbery excitement over the upcoming new Exhorder album. Well, poop.

I can only imagine that they have demoed some new material, no? If so, I wouldn't cry if it were released, even in raw form.

As for the future, I am interested to see if Kyle and Jay decide to continue on another project together. I hope the music is mean as hell.
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Nuclear Torment have taken their creative blood, sweat and time to create a killer EP titled 8 BIT DEATH and have blessed the metal-loving public by offering it as a FREE freaking' download!

The music is bad ass speedy thrash and you would be doing yourself a disservice by not packing 8 BIT DEATH into your music lists. Your MP3 player will thank you.
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Speaking of free thrash, go check out Sabretung immediately and download their full length album Conquest. These Australian thrashers come up with some killer riffs and satisfying song structures that kick them up a notch above most up and coming thrash bands. There is so much good riffage on Sabretung's 9 song release that it's hard to pick a favorite (although The Thing and Eliminate the Weak come to mind). Check it out, bang your head, hit them up on Facebook and tell 'em how much you love 'em.

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Our favorite Illinois super heroes Smash Potater has teamed up with thrash brothers-in-arms Attack Imminent and released a split titled Horrific Halloween Double Creature Feature. Own this piece of underground history for a measly $5! Go here…now!




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As I write this, Alcoholator's new album Coma is streaming in its entirety. Get your dose of alcohol-fueled insanity here. If you like what you hear, the hard copy should be available through EBM Records soon.


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Ireland thrashers Heresy will be changing their name to Animator. A new website and new songs will launch on November 11th. Check out the tune False Flag Attack from their Open Your Eyes album here.

By the way - Thanks to Eoin Clarke for tipping me off on these guys. You rock, man!
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Daniel Jackson filmed a video for the new Thrash Or Die song Street Trash. Any splatter fans out there remember the 80s horror flick this song is based on? I still remember the disgustingly awesome pics in an old issue of Fangoria. Ah, the memories.

Anyway, wake up and smell the thrash and check out the vid for Street Trash below!



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Are you a fan of Stephen King's IT? Of course you are! So you owe it to yourself to check out Windsor, CA's clowncore giants IT. Listen to Pennywise come to life here!
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Guitarist Alonso Maguino has parted ways with NY's Legionary. As I write this, The band is looking for a tight as hell death/thrash player who can fill in the newly vacant spot. If you're interested, check out their Facebook page for info. If you're not interested, go there anyway, like their page and listen to their bad ass tunes!
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U.S. thrash/punk band Speedboozer released a rough mix of their song Gunned Down, a pissed off raw slab of punk-infused metal! Man, I can't wait to hear the rest of the upcoming album! Check this vid stream below.

Thrashline: New Vektor songs, New Paralyzer song, Hirax tour and more!

• VEKTOR are blessing us with a preview of their upcoming album Outer Isolation (out on Nov. 22nd on Heavy Artillery Records!). Check out the tracks Dying World and Dark Creations, Dead Creators below!








• Wanna learn to play Tantara's Human Mutation on guitar? Let Per show you the way!





• Here is a cool 4ARM interview with Danny Tomb over at Thrash Magazine!


• Nuclear Torment's unofficial release show for their 8 Bit Death EP with be this Friday (Oct. 7th) at the Broder Tuck in Stockholm. Check out the album art below! Killer.















• Gama Bomb's European tour starts this week!

















• 18 Wheels of Justice has their new album Execution for sale at CD Baby for only $8! Hard hitting METAL!!!


• Paralyzer has a new track up for ya'll titled The Ritual Gate off their upcoming EP! THRASH!





• Possessor is recording their new album this month. As of now, expect a November release. Great holiday gift perhaps?


• Six In Line has new art by Khaled Merei for upcoming album titled U Shud Hev Invtd Me.














• You saw and loved the video, now Thrash Or Die has made their song Wake Up and Smell the Thrash (video edit) available as a free download! Go here!


• Revocation has a Guitar World interview posted here.


• HIRAX will embark on the POZERKILL 4EVER POLAND TOUR in November!

Thrash Or Die ROCKS!

Wow. I am freaking' stoked! I have found the peak of the mountain where relentless classic thrash and comic book insanity have crossed and planted the biggest and most obnoxious metal flag to wave boldly in the faces of posers everywhere.

Miami's thrashers THRASH OR DIE and their album Poser Holocaust might sound like a mashed up total of every thrash cliche out there, but band members Dr. Fukk, Darth Vodka, Triplesixxx Whoremangler, and Pat could not care less.

Frankly, neither do I. With their tongue in cheek approach to some serious freaking songwriting, Thrash Or Die are pure fun and their music absolutely KILLS.

Also, as I risk the fury of the Serious Metal Only types, it is the comic book look that attracts me to a lot of thrash bands, in both image and lyrics. I mean, take a look at all the Ed Ripka covers, the colorful and twisted band logos as well as the topics of zombies, kings, monsters, deadly moshpits, and Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic settings.

Thrash Or Die unabashedly embodies the essence of those classic thrash themes and images, spitting them out in venomous doses of crushing speedy thrash metal.

Perfect examples of this can be found in their songs, such as No Posers Allowed, The Return of the Thrash Lord, Moshpit Messiah, and Wake Up and Smell the Thrash. The song titles might be part of T.O.D.'s schtick, but the music slams hard and in the end that's all that matters to me.

To get a full dose of what is Thrash Or Die, check out the video below (you won't be sorry). If you like it, head over to their Facebook page and show some support.

Legionary - A Glimpse into Arcane Divisions

In case you haven't seen it, Legionary has put out a very cool short documentary on the band as well as the recording of their upcoming album Arcane Divisions.

This entertaining, funny, and informative video does a good job in showing the different personalities that make up Legionary. It also makes my mouth water for the release of Arcane Divisions, an album I believe will promptly kick my ass upon first listen.

Check it out!

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!

ENVY from California! Where are you? You ROCK!

Okay, maybe I suck at using search engines or something, but I cannot find any substantial info on the San Pedro, CA band called ENVY.

Luckily, I checked out a thread over at the beloved Thrash Unlimited that has one of their songs posted titled A Ring of the Bell.

The recording is rough as hell, but shining through the grainy haze of the audio playback is Envy's genius for writing the absolute most killer Megadeth-inspired thrash metal I've ever heard.

The RIFFS, man. Awesome. The song structures, the dynamics, the solos, and the vocals - it's all there just WAITING to be hammered onto a quality recording for all of us to enjoy.

As far as more material from these guys, there are a few live rehearsal available, but the song I'm posting here is the best we seem to have so far.

Check it out below and then if you want more…well, you're on your own until ENVY makes themselves more easily accessible. I imagine that will happen in the very near future. I hope!

VIOLENTOR absolutely freaking ROCKS!

I was going to save this write-up about Italy's VIOLENTOR for the Weekend Breakdown post, but I simply couldn't wait.

Gravelly and pissed, Violentor has their foot planted firmly on the rock 'n' thrash pedal, storming out like an avalanche of rabid badgers. Their music is a demolition derby of metal, punk and thrash that would make the most hardened Motorhead fan cry for joy.

Violentor's diesel-spitting vocals match the rolling guitar riffs and pounding drums, injecting the songs with an intensity that will rip your head off. Raw, fast, and harsh.

Listen below, like 'em on Facebook and if you really like Violentor, their self-titled album is available here from EBM Records.

Tantara ROCKS!

Here is a band that is going to be a major force in the NWOTM. Bold statement? Yes, and admittedly part of that stems from my own personal bias as a fan of Tantara. However, this old-school flavored thrash band from Norway seriously has a knack for writing killer songs that could put a little fire in the belly of your average metal fan.

When I listen to their Human Mutation EP, as well as their available demo songs on Tantara's Facebook page, I am amazed that they were written by a group of 17 and 18 year-olds. Yes, I know most NWOTM bands have members of similar age, but it's the feeling and dynamics of their songs that shows how much Tantara understands what the hell they're doing when constructing some mosh-worthy tunes.

Their influences consist of the who's-who of old-school thrash and power metal, such as Testament, Vio-lence and Judas Priest. Tantara manages to capture a bit of the magic of what made those original bands rock so hard and inject it into their songwriting.

Killer riffs and well-orchestrated solos abound, I can't help but to keep their tunes in my regular listening rotation of new metal bands.

Oh, yeah. Another item I must mention to back up my previously made bold statement: Legendary producer Flemming Rasmussen is working with Tantara on their debut album which they will begin recording soon. I can't wait to hear it.

Listen to Negligible Souls and then go to their Facebook page to hear the rest. Official site here.

WOSLOM Rocks!

I have to thank Doug Dominicali for sending me a video of the Brazilian thrash band WOSLOM.

When I started the video, I wasn't prepared for the hammering onslaught of the opening riff. After the song let out a victory roar as it repeatedly kicked my ass, I was immediately hooked and had to find out more about WOSLOM.

Based off the samples I heard from their debut CD Time to Rise, the rest of their songs sound just as promising.

Check out their killer promo video for Time to Rise and then listen to the title track.

Purchase the CD or MP3s to Time to Rise here and then "like" them on Facebook.

Fatal Demise ROCKS!

What we have here, my fellow thrashers, is a bona fide diamond in the rough. What I mean is this: Michigan's FATAL DEMISE is already a freaking diamond, heard through an extremely rough-cut demo.

The bonus is that the demo sounds good enough to hear this band shine. Since I began the NWOTM blog I have heard a lot of good thrash, but Fatal Demise is one band that makes me foam at the mouth in anticipation of what a clean and heavy production could do for their songs.

I hate to sound like I am knocking these guys, because that is certainly not the case. Fatal Demise cranks out some straight-forward, balls-out thrash metal, and I love it.

What I like about their song writing is that you can feel when the riffs will change from fast paced to a heavy as hell half-time and then back to a mid-paced headbanging assault, leaving a satisfying teeth-grinding smile on the listener's crazed face. Such dynamics can make or break a thrash song, but Fatal Demise has nearly mastered the technique.

Will you find groundbreaking originality here? No, but the music is groundbreaking in the sense that I want to stomp holes in my floor when I listen to it. Does that count?

Check out the vids below and then go "Like" 'em on Facebook.

Thrash bands you need to hear

Plector
In a killer blend of death/thrash, northen Sweden's Plector cooks up tunes full of brutal gallops and crushing grooves. I love this stuff, but since I am a noob to their music, I missed both times they toured here in the states. Boo.

Check out their video for Spiteful Love and then check 'em out here.




Shrapnel
Shrapnel out of Norwich - "the most complete medieval city in Britain" - plays thrash that is simply so freaking GOOD. Their music is neckbreaking, necksnapping, neckstomping, and anything else that could put a painful damper on turning your head the morning after experiencing Shrapnel's assault.

I love the first sentence of their bio which reads, "Forget revivals. Forget reunions. There is only now. There is only THRASH."

These guys bleed metal into every riff, drum roll and scowl. Listen to their tune Eternal War and try not to kick your furniture over when the chorus hits. After, check them out here.





Bacalou
If you want old-school, Bacalou plays it to perfection. After receiving a link from the Johnson City, TN band, I checked them out and instantly became a fan. Bacalou cranks out straight-forward thrash, aptly played, with cool lyrics and killer solos.

For those of you who complain that every new thrash band should find a way to reinvent the wheel can cry elsewhere. Those who want to thrash and destroy, suit up and slam to Bacalou!

Listen to the tracks Shock Therapy and Panic and then check them out here.








Abserdo
Speaking of old-school, check out Abserdo, a crossover band from Philly. Abserdo offers high energy insanity for those into Cryptic Slaughter and old D.R.I., but with enough metal influence to appeal to most other thrash hounds.

I am impressed with the various sounds Abserdo plays with to construct their tunes. From grind to punk to thrash to slow metal riffage with soulful solos(!!), these guys are politically charged and noisy, but with tight musicianship to back it up. You definitely have to listen to more than one song to hear everything they have to offer. Check out Abserdo here.

In Defence: a quick plug

This post is just a quick plug for a killer Minneapolis hardcore/thrash band called In Defence. As I usually do with newly discovered bands I like, I looked up a bunch of crap about them online.

First off, you gotta check out their vid for Don't Call Me a Moshist. Watch and love it.



After you enjoy the tune, click here to read the Head Check blog's interview with In Defence vocalist Ben Crew.

After you read the interview, check out In Defence's online store here.

There. A quick plug.

So enjoy! Try not to break anything while listening.

Which Witch ROCKS!

Wow, I love this band.

Through the harsh and noisy music, Which Witch is a thrash group brimming with original hooks, sounds, and ideas about how to make a genuinely rocking tune.

Within the range of influences, in addition to various crossover bands, you might catch glimpses of old-style Clutch (Witch You Were Here) and Naked City (Two in the Bitch, One in the Witch!), all which add to their layers upon layers of musical madness that is both thick as molasses and as frenzied as a freight train. This is underground, baby!




Check them out here and then download their album here for only $3.33!

Lich King RULES!

Why I have not yet dedicated a post to the mighty Lich King is an idiot move on me.

Lichmaster Tom Martin may write about monsters, violence, and silliness, but the music itself is far from flippant. Mosh-worthy rhythms are aplenty, and even the angriest grand poobah of the pissed-off thrash brigade can't help but give a horns up, even in the face of a few lyrics that plant the tongue firmly in cheek.

Tom's consistent bragging about Lich King (examples: "I'd rather listen to...us!" "The best damn thrash band ever, ever." "What's not news at all is that we rule.") shows a light-hearted and fun approach to some serious thrash metal.

Check the riffs in A Storm of Swords from their World Gone Dead album. Grinding. Stomping. Killer!



Check out Lich King here and here.

Dr. Livingdead's new cover art!

I had no idea until about 30 minutes ago that Dr. Livingdead has a new album coming out soon. When? I dunno. Last I heard they were working on new material, but it looks like they secured a deal with High Roller Records.

Check out the killer album cover.

























Now check out one of their latest tunes.




Man, I'm glad to see these guys back! I'll request again: Come to the States!!

Checking out some new thrash!

Since I have been slacking on my posts lately, I thought I would kill a bunch of birds with one stone and list a few bands that have caught my ear one way or another.


First we have Vermillion Days from Greece. These death/thrashers began in 2007, playing various favorite cover tunes while crafting their own originals. Those original tunes came together as Vermillion Days' first self-financed EP titled In the Warfield.

In the Warfield has a classic death/thrash sound reminiscent of early Sepultura.

You can check out their YouTube channel here, and after, go "like" them on their Facebook page here.





Next we have Betrayer FTM from Columbia. This stuff is extreme thrash with a raw punk feel. I say punk "feel" because it's not 100% crossover, but it has a killer raw quality that gravitates the songs toward the genre. The tune Midnight Poison might be the best example of this with the guttural vocals and thrash rock riffage. Awesome!

The cover art to their album No Life Till Fury is disturbing and sick, sticking out as a good reference to the flavor of music hammered out by Betrayer FTM.

Check 'em out here.




Next is a promising band from Buffalo NY called New World Horror. I mentioned them in a previous post here. These young thrashers (ages between 17 and 19) decided to form a band only one year ago (March 2010), and have been working to get themselves on the music map.

N.W.H. is already making headway by opening for some of the NWOTM heavyweights such as Gama Bomb and Bonded By Blood. Although their demo is not perfect (for example, the vocals are a bit patchy on the more melodic "singing" parts, and the dynamics in their breakdown riffs simply are not there) but it still has some pit worthy moments.

The musicianship is excellent. Their song Vipers sticks out as their best with a pummeling opening that leads into vocal patterns which bring old Nuclear Assault to mind.

These guys are still young in their musical journey with N.W.H., and I'm more than curious to see how they will develop into a well-oiled thrash machine. As far as they have come within a year, New World Horror's next effort has the potential to destroy. I'll be watching.

Check them out here.

National Suicide ROCKS!

I don't now what it is about Italian thrash, but recently I seem to find more and more that simply crushes.

Bands such as Injury, Game Over, and Alcoholizer are killer and worth a look for any thrash fan. One of my faves is National Suicide.

One listen to their tune Please Welcome...My Friends and you'll know why they richly deserve a ROCKS! post. National Suicide have mastered creating the catchy headbangable riff. These riffs take what would be a typical good thrash tune and elevate it to something memorable.

Comparisons are inevitable between vocalist Stefano Mini and good ol' Bobby Blitz, but that's okay. Mini has a great set of pipes that fit perfectly for the brand of thrash N.S. is pumping out.

Give it a listen.




Check them out here.

Who is EVOL (USA) and what happened to them?

I'll admit that I haven't heard of these guys until tonight. I found out about EVOL while surfing for Italian thrash metal on YouTube.

Well, they aren't from Italy - they are from Santa Monica, but I am glad that YouTube offered EVOL's tunes up for me to experience. Fate is cool in that way.

So other than a quick view on a EVOL fan page on MySpace and the limited amount of info at the Metal Archives, I know both diddly and squat about this band.

But I love what I have heard, and here's hoping that this post will create some weird stir in the universe and direct a bit more attention toward these guys. Sure they broke up nearly 20 years ago (!!!), but with the resurgence of thrash (you know, since it's so "trendy"), young fans will be looking for the hardcore goodies of yore.

EVOL!