The NWOTM Blog's Top 10 Albums of 2012

I have finally pieced together the New Wave of Thrash Metal Blog's Top Ten Albums of 2012.

Creating lists based on music favorites is always a difficult task for me because the list changes almost daily. Plus, I don't have the funds to get EVERY single thrash release, so really an "official best-of list" would be rather bogus coming from me. So if you don't see on my list what should be an obvious choice for every thrash top-ten, just know that either I haven't bought the album or your idea of a good album is pure silliness.

Also, let it be known that I originally included an "Honorable Mentions" list as well, but it became way, way too freakin' long. I could have easily made a Top 30 list for the year, but I only have so much time and patience (as do you, I'm sure), so I axed the honorables.

Now...let's get started!!

 10. Conflagrator - Inevitable Punishments

These guys cranked out a killer self-released EP with songs chock-full of thick riffs hammered over heavy, mid-paced rhythms.

9. Dr. Living Dead - Radioactive Intervention

Delivering another lesson in energetic crossover thrash, Dr. Living Dead offered up an album every bit as good as their debut.

8. Bio-Cancer - Ear Piercing Thrash

A chaotic mass of head-jolting riffage and venomous vocals weaved together in a rather original sound. Just an undeniably powerful album.

7. Testament - Dark Roots of Earth

As I said in my review for this album, "Testament managed to take everything they have perfected over the course of the band's career and build upon that foundation to give us an album that is savagely hungry, effectively beautiful, and as heavy as a near-flawless metal album should be." Too true.

6. Violentor - Rot

Their second album is another vicious attack of balls-out punk thrash. The riffs are infectious, creating songs that are satisfyingly catchy and brutal all at once.

5. Insinnerator - Hypothermia

Insinnerator's second release takes the unique sound of their debut and adds a confidence and maturity to the songwriting, making it all tighter, meaner, and completely neck-shredding. Utterly fantastic.

4. Overkill - The Electric Age

Veterans showing the young'uns how to CRUSH! When I read interviews with Blitz about his competitive spirit against the young and hungry thrash bands, he shows that while he and D.D. are older and wiser, they are every bit as hungry. The Electric Age is one hell of a kick in the ass.

3. Tantara - Based on Evil

At the time, the wait for this album to drop was excruciating. So much hype surrounded Based on Evil, and when it finally became available, I felt the music surpassed expectations. Based on Evil rages with well-written thrash, propelled by killer old-school riffing and ripping vocals. This will be considered a classic album within the NWOTM.

2. Lich King - Born of the Bomb

Pure thunder from a band clearly on top of their game. It's interesting to wonder if Lich King knew how special and thoroughly kick-ass an album Born of the Bomb was going to be as they were writing it. I love how people were almost surprised at just how damn good BotB is. We live in crazy times when a band like Lich King still remains unsigned to a solid metal label.

1. 4ARM - Submission For Liberty

Modern thrash done perfectly. With Submission For Liberty, 4ARM created a bulldozer of a metal album with hardly an inch of filler. Completely engrossing, Submission For Liberty contains dynamic musical passages of aggression and beauty that soars along on the backs of tight, well-crated riffs and rhythms. Smart, lively, and it freakin' CRUSHES.

Eradikator ROCKS!

Freakin' ERADIKATOR! Jamming out to this Birmingham thrash band is so much f*cking FUN that I am pissed I just recently discovered them. These guys know how to get the listener's head moving with a barrage of tightly executed riffs wrapped around some solid thrash metal song writing.

The catchy hooks and all-out energy Eradikator expels in their music brings to mind the clockwork hammering of Overkill's last two albums. Tracks such as Skeletal Steel and Overthrow display a ruthless aggression and tight-as-hell delivery that propels the killer drumming and rhythm playing to the foreground.

Eradikator's Odysseus is an instrumental that is absolutely stunning in its dynamics of blues-based emotion and hard-as-nails metal attack. It's epic. This track alone has more substance and backbone than most bands can garner in their entire careers. I've listened to Odysseus multiple times and I am continuously blown away by the mountainous array of feelings this song stirs in me. Truly, truly fantastic.

The bottom line is that Eradikator is a thrash band that should be turning the heads of thrash fans everywhere, and here's hoping that they go on to bigger and better places without changing a damn thing about what they do and who they are. Just…bad ass.

Listen and devour the available streaming songs below and then hit them up here.

Taking bands for granted (or how the NWOTM deepened my love for the old-school)

There is always something interesting brewing over at the Gogmagogical Blog. Even when the Gogmeister is posting about a band that I don't particularly care for, I can always relate to something in his witty and insightful write-ups.

A few weeks ago, he posted a review on the new Overkill album The Electric Age (an album which I love). Within his first few sentences, he offered me a plateful of food for thought.

He said,

"I have always taken Overkill for granted. For someone who is less than a devotee, it's pretty easy to do. They were always there, for about as long as I've been buying music, their ubiquitous green logo and bat-winged skull seemingly always available in multiple variations in the "O" section of any record store I visited."


Yes, this also describes me to a T.

However, I could list off many, many bands in place of Overkill that I took for granted - never knowing how much they actually kick large amounts of ass. Sure, I'm catching up on a lot of lost classics now, but it sucks to think about how many years went by without experiencing what some of these bands had to offer when they were first hitting the streets.

Argh!

If the NWOTM has done anything for me, it has enhanced my appreciation for old-school thrash metal…and this is coming from a guy who lived his teen years in the 80s.

My love for many of the new school bands made me want to invest more time in those who influenced them. In turn, my research and collecting of old-school goodies was a fantastic trip down memory lane, obtaining many CDs I used to have on tape or that I listened to many times over at my friends' houses as a kid.

Also, I got to hear some thrash classics for the first time and purposely sought out bad-ass album covers I remember staring at in the local record store (Hello, Kreator's Out of the Dark!).

I firmly believe that the NWOTM is also giving its young fans the urge to check out the old-school, so hopefully this thought will pacify the angry thrash purists just a little bit.

But back to the statements made by Gogmagogical. What bands did you take (or are taking) for granted? Is there a band you have read about or a killer album cover you saw that piqued your interest, but never checked them out (thus having no clue whether or not they are completely freakin' bad-ass)?

It's unavoidable, I guess. There are simply way too many bands to keep track and we all only have so many hours in the day. However, if there is a band that has been sticking out enough for you to notice them, for God's sake check them out! It will suck to "discover" them 20 years later and say, "Damn, I missed out!"

Thrashline: Bonded By Blood to record, New Overkill announced, Scornforger's metal tribute, and more!

In two weeks NWOTM big boys BONDED BY BLOOD will begin recording with their revamped line-up. As most of you know, this will be vocalist Mauro Gonzalez's first album with BBB, and I'm excited to hear him belt out the new tunes.

Ex-BBB vocalist Jose Barrales posted the following on the band's Facebook page:

"I honestly can't wait to hear this. Very intrigued and a little skeptical. I know Juan will sound ace, he's a very legit guitarist. I just need to hear everything together. With Jessie and Mauro being new, I'm sure it will bring a different vibe. I'm actually very, very intrigued on how the vocals will sound and what the lyrics are all about. Good luck."

I might be wrong, but Barrales sounds a little bit…doubtful?…regarding the news about a new BBB record. Terms like "intrigued" and "skeptical" don't sound encouraging and warm, but I don't blame him if that's the case. BBB was his baby for roughly 5 years and it probably isn't easy to see others pick up the flag and run with it.

However, it's cool that Barrales put in his two cents. Meanwhile, I'm eagerly awaiting to hear some tunes from his new band WORMHOLE!
---------------------------------------------------------------------



Thrash legends OVERKILL have named their next album The Electric Age, to be released on March 27th. I'm excited for this news because I have been on an Overkill bender this week, unable to vanquish what thirst I have for their brand of neck-snapping thrash metal.

The bonus is that the album will be out nearly a month before they trek on into my town on their Killfest tour. That'll afford me some quality time to lube up the old ears for some new tunes before hearing them live. That sounded gross.
---------------------------------------------------------------------



SHRAPNEL out of Norwich, England is now looking for a new bass player. Those interested should get in touch with the band through their Facebook page (where you can find all of Shrapnel's contact info).

If you have yet to hear the crushing power of Shrapnel, listen below and then buy their The Devastation to Come ep. Killer, bad-ass thrash metal.


---------------------------------------------------------------------



Polish metal heads HEADBANGER will begin recording their new album at the beginning of July. If you haven't heard these guys yet, get on the ball! I am addicted to their Nuclear Devastation ep. Listen below and then hit Headbanger up on Facebook.


---------------------------------------------------------------------



There is a new thrash blog on the block called GLOBAL THRASH ASSAULT. This blog provides quick, kick-ass reviews and commentary on all things thrash. It's amazing at the amount of material they put out in such a short amount of time. You can almost bet that you'll find new posts there every day (something I aspire to do one day when earth moves up to a 42 hour-a-day schedule).

Check out the Global Thrash Assault blog here and go "like" their HQ on Facebook.
---------------------------------------------------------------------



The Forward Into Battle Tour has added some new dates, including one in Kansas City on March 13th! In case you're in the dark about this tour, the line-up includes English Dogs, The Casualties, Toxic Holocaust, and Havok!!!

This is beginning to be a killer year in metal for me. This week is the Anthrax/Testament/Death Angel show. In March, I'll hit the Forward Into Battle Tour, and then in April…OVERKILL!

Yes, I am lucky.

If you're in the path of the English Dogs tour, mark your calendar. Check here for dates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------



Johnson, TN's master thrashers BACALOU are in search of a new vocalist. These guys jam some bad ass old-school influenced thrash metal. Interested parties can contact Bacalou through their Facebook page.

Meanwhile, check out one of their tunes below.



---------------------------------------------------------------------



Last bit I want to mention:

Check out this killer tribute to metal from the band SCORNFORGER! Cool video to a killer song. If you dig it, keep up with these guys on Facebook.

THRASH TILL YOU PUKE!!!!