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.

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!

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.

Damageflag joins with Punkerama Records...because they ROCK!

A big congratulations to Ireland's own DAMAGEFLAG. These young thrashers inked a deal with Punkerama Records which will release the band's debut EP on November 1st.

If you have yet to hear Damageflag's music, these guys crank out driving thrash with mind-hooking riffage and an overwhelming sense of having a hell of a good time.

Their tune Ride Like Hell has branded itself in my brain. The main riff is genius and the chorus is perfect for the live-performance-audience-participation scream along.

Listen to their goods below and then hit Damageflag up here.

RIDE LIKE HELLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!