Raze/Mankind's Heritage/Suspiria Records/2015 CD Review

  Raze  are  a band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Mankind's  heritage"  which  was  released  by  Suspiria  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  and  technical  guitar leads  that  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  while  the  vocals  are  very  aggressive  yet  melodic  at  the  same  time  and  alos  add  in  a  touch  of  power  metal.

  Back  up  gang  shouts  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  while  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  past  the  production  makes  the  songs  have  a  more  modern  feeling  along  with  some  progressive  touches  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  and  some  of  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  one  song  being  all  instrumental  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  the  last  song  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length. 

  Raze  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal  that  is  very  aggressive,  melodic  and  old  school  while  also  mixing  in  a  touch  of  power  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  Raze  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Evil  Waits"  "The  Church  Is  On  Fire"  and  "Streets  of  Wickedness".  8  out  of  10.

Reactory/Heavy/FDA Rekotz/Soulfood Music/2016 CD Review

  Reactory  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  heavy  and  aggressive  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Heavy"  which  will  be  released  in  July  as  a  joint  effort  between  FDA  Rekotz  and Soulfood  Music.

  A  very  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  thrash  metal  direction  and  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  recording  they  are  aggressive  screams.

  Blast  beats  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  a  great  amount  of  back  up  gang  shouts  and  the  music  almost  brings  in  a  death  metal  heaviness  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  most  of  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  80's  while  also  taking  advantage  of  modern  technology  and  the  whole  album  remains  true  to  a  very  heavy  musical  style  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Motorhead's  "Eat  The  Rich".

  Reactory  plays  a  style  of  Teutonic  thrash  metal  that  they  also  update  for  the  modern  era  while  still  having  an  80's  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  mythology  and  nuclear  energy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Reactory  are  a  very  great  sounding  Teutonic  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "To  Thanatos"  "Shrines  Of  The  Forgotten  Gods"  and  "Let  Me  Rage  Before  I  Die".  8  out  of  10.  

War Curse/Final Days/Static Tension Recordings/2016 EP Review

  War  Curse  are  a  band  from  Ohio  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  2015  ep  "Final  Days" which  will  be  released  in  June  on  cd  by  Static  Tension  Recordings.

  Air  raid  sirens  start  off  the  ep  along  with  a  heavy  thrash  metal  style  kicking  in  a  few  seconds  later  along  with  some  vocals  that  are  very  aggressive  yet  melodic  at the  same  time  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  80's.

  While  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  past,  the  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  feeling  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  more  of  an  old  school  thrash  style  while  also  having  their  melodic  moments  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  whole  ep  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  War  Curse  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal  that  is  very  aggressive  and  heavy  sounding  while  also  mixing  in  a  touch  of  traditional  metal  style  melodies  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  war  themes.

  In  my  opinion  War  Curse  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dawn  Patrol"  and  "Final  Days".  8   out  of  10.   

Warfield Interview

  1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
1. We just played a couple of shows with our session bassist and now we're looking for a good studio to record our full lenght very soon. Also we're looking for new gigs to play.
   
    2.So far you have released a demo and an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is present on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

2. First of all the demo was more like trying out stuff, also the sound isn't very professional, but still it was our first recording experience. When you listen to the EP, it's a big change and we've developed. On the "Call To War" EP there's a lot aggression and anger, the sound is better, even though we were still not that happy with it, and it's just pure teutonic thrash! Also it was very cool to record that one so we think this EP shows pretty much what we stand for. But still, it's been a time since we recorded that and we developed since then, so the full lenght is going to be even better!
   
    3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3. In our lyrics we criticize politics and everything that's wrong with society. Actually, we don't even have to search for a topic, the current situation gives us the aggression automatically.
   
    4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Warfield'?
4. Acutally, we just took it from the Slayer-War at the Warfield DVD. But the name also fits into what we're doing, when we play live and when you look at our lyrics, it's pretty much a Warfield because we get angry when we see the capitalistic society and the politics' actions. And of course it fits because of the mosh pits.
   
    5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
5. One of our best shows was the release-show for our EP. We were happy that it finally came out and the people at the show were pretty crazy too. Also a couple of the best shows for us have been the ones we did over the last weeks and months with our session bassist, for example the shows at the Newcomer Metalnight in Tübingen or at the Taunus Metal Festival, what was one of the biggest stages we've played on so far. Also there were a lot of awesome bands that played with us. Our stage performance is exactly what you expect from an old school thrash band, it's wild, aggressive and there are a lot of hair flying in the pit.
   
    6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
6. We're actually looking for gigs all the time. Now we're searching a studio to record out first album and afterwards we're playing shows again.
   
    7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
7. Yes, of course we're looking for a label in the moment!
   
    8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of thrash metal?
8. The worldwide feedback has been very good so far. It's just awesome to see that people like what we're doing because we ourselves love it as well! We get great feedbacks from different countries and that's really fuckin' amazing!
   
    9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
9. Yes, actually two of our members. Our drummer Dominik helps out in another band called Redgrin who play death metal and our session bassist Marc plays guitar for the black-thrashers Nekkromaniac. We just can't get enough.
   
    10.When can we expect new music and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10. We planning to release our full lenght next year and it's going to be full speed, aggressive and dirty teutonic thrash metal that will kick all posers out!
   
    11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
11. Our influences are of course the german thrash legends like for example Sodom, but also the bay area bands like Exodus, Testament or Slayer. Also, we're influenced by new bands like Suicidal Angels or Legion of the Damned. Generally, we listen to a lot of different stuff, also to bands like Immortal, Midnight, Exciter, Razor, Enforcer or the german Wifebeater just to mention a few.
   
    12.What are some of your non musical interests?
12. Football and beer drinking!
   
    13.Before we wrap up this interview, d you have any final words or thoughts?

13. If you like some old school teutonic thrash to go fuckin' wild, check us out! Thanks for your support and always keep thinking for yourselves! New album will be out soon!

Defiatory/Extinct/Black Lion Productions/2016 CD Review

  Defiatory  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  very  aggressive  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Extinct"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Black  Lion  Productions.

  Drum  beats  and  a  very  aggressive  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  alter  aggressive  yet  melodic  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  vocals  also  utilizing  screams  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  guitar  riffing  can  also  be  very  melodic  at  times  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  of  thrash  metal  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  slight  death  metal  feeling  at  times  and  the  whole  album  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Defiatory  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal  that  is  very  aggressive  in  the  80's  tradition  while  also  sounding  very  modern  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Defiatory  are  a  very  great  sounding  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Reaper"  "Extinct"  and  "Furor  Unleashed".  8  out  of  10.

 

Soul Collector/Reanimator/In Union We thrash/Defense Records/2016 Split CD Review

  This  is  a  review of  a  split  album  between  Poland's  Soul  Collector  and  Canada's  Reanimator  called  "In  Union  We  Thrash"  which  was  released  by  Defense  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Soul  Collector  a  band that  has  been  featured  before  in this  zine  and  plays  an  old  school  style  of  thrash  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  rain  and  thunder sounds  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  after  the  intro  the  music  start  bringing  in  more  of  an  old  school  thrash  metal  style  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  80's  styl  of  the  genre.

  At  times  melodies  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  vocals  bring  in  a  more  aggressive  approach  to  the  genre  while  also  having  a  melodic  tone  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  of  thrash  metal  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  back  up  gang  shouts  and  there  last  track  is  something  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  demons,  death  and  war  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Soul  Collector  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Pledge"  and  "1968".

  Next  up  is  Reanimator  another  band  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy  and  aggressive  thrash  metal  sound  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  their  side  of the  recording  and  the  vocals  are  very  aggressive  screams  and  shouts  while  the  faster  sections  of t he  songs  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  and  throughout  their  side  of  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of back  up  gang  shouts  and  there  side  of t he  split  also  always  sticks  to  a  heavy  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  metal,  gore  and  hell  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Reanimator  are  a  very  great  sounding  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beyond  That  Burning  Mask"  and  "Rush  For  The  Mosh".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of old  school  thrash  metal.  8  out  of  10.

Skurk/Final Cut/Inconsistency Records/2014 EP Review

  Skurk  are  a  band  from  Iceland  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Final  Gift"  which  was  released  by  Inconsistency  Records.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  more  heavy  and  melodic  musical  style  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  are  also  very  aggressive  while  also  mixing  in a   touch  of  power  metal.

  Most  of  the  music  is  rooted  in  a  mid  80's  style  of   thrash  metal  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  is  also a   brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  all  of  the  songs  sound  like  they  could  of  been  recorded  and  released  more  than  25  years  ago.

  Skurk  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal  that  is  very  old  school  while  also  being  very  aggressive  and  melodic  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  society,  religion  and  Satanism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Skurk  are  a very  great  sounding  melodic  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Final  Gift"  and  "Chaindead". 8  out  of  10.

Regicide/Fall Of An Empire/2015 Full Length Review

  Regicide  are  a  band from  Albuquerque,  New  Mexico  that  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  2015  album  "Fall  Of  An  Empire".

  A  very  powerful  bass  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  some  rough  vocals  that  are  perfectly  balanced  between  aggression  and  melody  and  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  an  old  school  thrash  metal  direction  that  is  rooted  in  the  mid  80's.

  Back  up  gang  shouts  can  be  heard  at  times  while  the  solos  and  leads  remain  true  to  a  traditional  style  of  thrash  metal  and  some  songs  also bring  in  a  brief  use  of  clean playing  and  throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  some  growls  and  power  metal  elements  at  times  and  they  also  bring  in  an  instrumental  track  while  the  remaining  songs  have  vocals.

  Regicide  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal t hat  is  very  melodic  yet  aggressive  at  the  same  time  while  also  adding  a  more  modern  touch  to  an  old  school  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Regicide  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fallen"  "John  The  Baptist"  and  "Again".  8  out  of  10.

Running Death Interview

Interview EUMZ (with Jakob - Drums)

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

We had a few line up changes since the release of „Overdrive“, but now we have a solid and awesome line up and we are almost done with the songwriting for our next record.

2.A year ago you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

I think there are a few more other influences or genres, which you can find in our music on „Overdrive“. On the other hand for example the first EP „Raging Nightmare“ is really straight forward Thrash-Metal.
After all we never forced a special direction. We just wrote songs, that we liked. Over the years we formed the sound we play today.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

The lyrics always have something to do with stuff we really want to sing about, so there are no fixed lyrical topics or subjects. But I can say, that the statement „Overdrive right into insanity“ builds the quintessence for the lyrics of our newer stuff.

4.Originally the band was known as 'Disaster Area', what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Running Death'?

There existed a „Banana – Rock“ - Band with the same name, whatever this is :P
Anyway, to avoid issues with them we got to change our name.
When we came up with the name „Running Death“ no one of us put any special meaning in the name. For me for example the name just sounded very metal and thats why I liked it back then. And until this day I think, that Running Death is a great and a memorable name for a Metalband.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

For me personally the biggest moments on stage were the gigs with „Amorphis“, „Suicidal Angels“ and „Hirax“, but honestly everyone of us enjoys every gig!
I think our stage performance is great, especially Simon (Vocals, Guitar) does some memorable stuff on stage. So go check it out!

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We want to be on the road as often as possible, but as I already said we had problems with line up changes and things like that. And also we're writing on our next album, so we didn't played that much the last months. But I think this will be changed the following months.

7.The last album was released on Punishment 18 Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

It's an independent  label in the middle of Italy. A label especially can help you with the promotion and distribution of your music and can reach people, who you never could reach yourself.
8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of thrash metal?

I think over all the reaction especially for Overdrive is really good. Some of the early Running Death fans recognized, that the stuff on the Album is more progy than the songs of the earlier releases.
If you look at the reviews, you also can see, that the reactions are over all positive. The only thing some of the listeners don't like are the vocals, what I personally can not understand.

9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical
projects these days?

Yes, Simon plays in a Heavy Metal band called „Eisenhauer“ and I am involved with musical projects at university as part of my studies.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

This is really difficult to answer. The material for the new album is by far the best stuff, we have ever written! It's hard to evaluate if there is a major difference or some kind of changes. Over all it will be a little different. Otherwise it would be boring, if we would do the same record twice ;)

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I would say our main musical influences are bands like Megadeth, Annihilator, Rage or Testament. But each member of the band has his own influences. For me for example Pantera is really important, because the drumming of Vinnie Paul forced me to work on my tightness and groove everytime. Nowadays everyone of us also likes and listens to other music besides of metal.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

For example our Bass-player Max is really into gaming, Simon likes to be in the nature and everyone of us likes good and especially funny movies. I am also a fan of NBA-Basketball, especially of the Golden State Warriors.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you for the Interview and a big „Prost“ to everyone at ExtremeUnderground and all the fans!

Negligence/Coordinates Of Confusion/Metal Blade Records/2010 CD Review

  Negligence  are  a  band from  Slovenia  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2010  album  "Coordinates  Of  Confusion"  which  was  released  by  Metal  blade  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  aggressive  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  and  after  awhile  aggressive  vocals  are  added  onto t he  recording  and  they  also  mix  in  a  touch  of  power  metal  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  80's  and  back  up  gang  shouts  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  While  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  past  the  production  gives  the  music  more  of  a  modern  feeling  while  the  solos  and  leads  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  of  thrash  metal  and  the  songs  also bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  before  the  music  returns  back  to  a  heavier  direction  while  they  return  at t he  end  of t he  final  track.

  Negligence  plays  a  style  of  thrash  that  is  very  melodic  and  aggressive  while  also  mixing  in  a  touch  of  power  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  psychology,  human  mind  and  societal  issues.

  In  my  opinion  Negligence  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  thrash  metal b and  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mind  Decay"  "Disharmony"  "Sickened"  and  "Coordinates  Of  Confusion".  8  out  of  10.

Lamb Leg's Interview

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

We are a rock band from Milwaukee, WI. We are a four piece band living on a great lake. At one time, 3 out of 4 of us wore glasses, then our previous bass player stepped out and Peter joined with his excellent vision. That left only two of us with glasses.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

Loud, mostly. Voluminous, direct yet abstract, and tangible? Please no one say “angular” or “muscular,” thanks.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Love, Sex, Death, 10 minute meals, the inability to sleep, general human entanglement with the environment around us. Insects.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Lamb's Legs'?

All of the other names were taken.

We like to leave the meaning open and let it create whatever visual imagery you want it to.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

They were all good. Nasa Space Universe and Ed Schrader's Music Beat were a lot of fun, in particular. 

Our live show is first and foremost, loud. Energetic, hopefully. Compelling is what we’re going for above all else. We’ll settle for “somewhat memorable.”

 6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Only if we can find enough time to get in the same room with our equipment to relearn our songs. With various schedules and projects amongst us, it seems that finding the same open windows of time may prove to be difficult. The recording process for the newly released material began a year and a half ago, and from that time, aside from getting together to work on wrapping up that recording on and off, we haven't been a functioning band. Jeb went back to school to be a Social Worker. Kevin is in several other bands. Peter was actually in Massachusetts for most of the last year in a graduate program, but has recently returned. There’s a group BBQ in our future, at the very least.

7. The album was released as a joint effort between 'Elmwood Townhall Records' and 'Nova Labs', can you tell us a little bit more about these 2 labels?

Bjorn asked Matt Dake from Nova Labs if he wanted to put out our next album and he said "Sure, why not." So they are putting out the physical release. Elmwood Townhall is Jeb’s label. They put out Milwaukee stuff, mostly stuff that Jeb has been involved with.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of noise rock and post punk?

The world is still out there and we're not out there in it, I guess. Tough to say aside from having had the opportunity to play an enjoyable show or two with a band from another country. We played with Cuntz from Australia and that was a good time. Jealousy Mountain Duo from Germany are an incredible band who we were lucky to play with. Some guy from the Ukraine bought our new album. We have some fans in New Zealand. It’d be great to tour outside of the US but it doesn’t seem to be in the cards.

9. What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Normal band type things - writing, recording, playing the occasional show, meet and greets at local carwashes, etc. You actually recently reviewed a split with one of Kevin’s other bands, Volunteer. He’s also got a band called Pink Trilliums that is releasing a new digital ep in the near future. Peter is always busy with various noise and collaborative projects, as well as setting up shows. Jeb isn’t doing much musically at the moment due to the demands of school. Bjorn, in response to this question, says “stuff.”

10. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

It’s hard to say. Nothing much on the horizon at the moment. Maybe more things will happen, maybe they won’t. Probably they won’t.

It was really kind of you to reach out and do this after reviewing our album, though, so we’re really grateful to be able to speak with you.

11. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Kevin: The Chipmunks Christmas album was probably the earliest influence and the new Rangda lp - the Heretic's Bargain, has been a constant on my turntable, in my car and in my headphones since it came out a few months ago.

Bjorn: Lee Scratch Perry, Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, Busta Rhymes, Thelonious Monk, Brian Eno, Marvin Pontiac.

Jeb: The Honor Role was a big influence on my guitar playing for this record. Otherwise, I tried to draw influences from less usual places. The approach to writing Torsos was very different than previous albums. As for what I’ve been listening to, I’ve been listening to the new Savages album a lot, as well as the new White Lung. Some great local (Milwaukee) bands I’m excited about: Mountain Language, Soup Moat, Absolutely, Marcy, Swells, Gauss, Kate Moths.

12. What are some of your non-musical interests?

We all like film, art, humor. Humorous art films. 

Also: being around good people. Reading. Writing. Writing about beer, like Bjorn does. Jeb draws comics sometimes. 

13. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks for doing this!

http://lambslegs.com

https://www.facebook.com/lambslegs

Braindamage Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Due to the fact that the band has recently re-lined up, we are practicing a lot on the songs so to be ready to play around in the next Autumn. We all have an occupation outside music except for the drummer that is a full-time musician, then we can dedicate to music not all the time we would like to. I am dedicating myself to reviews and interviews, and we are preparing a “best of”  to be released possibly next year.


2.In April you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Well, this is the Braindamage's cd that took less time to be conceived and that has had the lesser modifications along its recording. It is a kind of straight forwardish attitude, which is what we needed, that could be felt along the cd. I mean, we did not do it in a rush because we were hurrying to have a cd out, it is a simple constatation of efficiency in short time. We normally used to spent gigantic portions of time to create and record: this time we did not and is a kind of relief. Moreover, it is definitely one of the best production ever, for us, thong that we absolutely needed.


3.This is the first album to be released in 7 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?

After releasing The Impostor we tried to promote the cd and play alive. Then we had a change in the line up that caused us a stop. We started again with Gee Anzalone (Now with Dragonforce) an Alex Mischinger (Scream Three Days). Gee was contacted by Dragonforce after a couple of years and we cheered him as he went playing in the championship that counts. He's a good guy and a great musician and he deserved to go on a top notch band. Then we stopped again until we decided, last July, to compose and release the next album. Cosimo from Mater Dea asked us to participate and we merrily agreed...


4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

All of our music is based on a concept I built and elaborated from the and of the 70's beginning of the 80's when I was a teenager and playing metal was the best vector to tell the story I wanted to tell. War, god, History manipulated, madness, conspiracy and misguided plans, traitors believing to be saviours and saviours turning out being invaders. The struggle of mankind to get rid of religions, just to fall in the hands of worse chains, mysterious empresses, liars, nuclear warheads and parallel worlds. I am trying since years to finish a book called Kahlenberg, the Red Empress and other tales, which contains all Braindamage's concepts, and some day publish it: I hope that day will eventually come...


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Braindamage'?
There are actually two: the first is bound with the famous Pink Floyd's song, some of the lyrics are linked with the concept and the second is that my nephew, Francesco, that was born two years before we formed the band, has a serious cerebral damage and I thought it was the best way to demonstrate how important he was to me.


6.The band has been around since 1988, what is it that keeps you motivated to keep going on after all of these years?

The motivation is that music (metal music, of course) is still a beautiful girl to be courted and we shall never stop doing it. It's not for the little money nor the ridicolous glory, it is just because playing is like breathing fresh air and the spirit is yet the same as '30 years ago. We are free to say and play what we want and until this is gong to be fun we well keep on doing it.


7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

The best two in absolute are in London, at the Astoria, supporting Killing Joke in '91 ate the end of an epic tour and the second supporting Voivod here in Italy, fantastic people for fantastic times.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

As previously said, we are preparing for  next Autumn something like a good promotion here and abroad, so far is a little early to talk about but we shall keep those who are interested on us informed.


9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of thrash metal?

We are but a niche band which is corageously struggling to obtain a small space into a world that is now bigger than it was when we started in 1988. We are having our good moments as well as some disillusions, but so far we are well received and we got some die-hard followers since years.


10.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Cosimo plays drums with Mater Dea, a good folk-metal band, Mischinger plays with me in Scream Three Days, a melodic death-metal band and Gigi shares with me another project called Kilauea.

12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

To the extreme, as always, towards the core of the hurricane.


13.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Killing Joke and Voivod as well as Deathrow, to name some, but we love thinking that our stuff is something that has had is source from us and will evolve from a personal point of view. It sounds possibly arrogant but it is honest.


14.What are some of your non musical interests?

I am a teacher at primary school and I have worked in education since '95. I like drawing, reading and writing short essays about warfare in the XVII-XVIII centuries.
Gigi is a fantastic carpenter and likes fitness. Cosimo is a bulimic reader and one of the most intelligent thinkers I've ever met. Alessandro is a great person, involved in many things as well as being great at his profession outside music.


15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

I would like to say something about our worry for one of the two candidates for next Presidential Election in USA, but maybe this is not the right place... (You can erase this if you want to or if it sounded inappropriate!)
I thank you for hosting us on your pages, keep up the great work!

Mortal Strike/For The Loud And The Aggressive/2014 CD Review

  Mortal  Strike  are a  band  from  Austria  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  2014  album  "For  The  Loud  And  The  Aggressive".

  Aggressive  vocals and  guitars  along  with  back  up  gang  shouts  start  off  the  album  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  very  fast  thrash  metal  direction t hat  also utilizes  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  80's.

  At  times  melodies  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts and  the  vocals  also  mix  in  a  melodic  edge  to  the  aggression  and  while  the  music  is  rooted  in the  past  it  has  a  more  modern  sound  production  wise   and  the  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.and  the  vocals  on  one  of t he  tracks  brings  in  a  touch  of  death  metal  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  tankard's  "Zombie  Attack"  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  of  thrash  metal.

  Mortal  Strike  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal  that  is  very  heavy and  old  school  but  with  enough  aggression  to  fit  in  with  modern  times,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  war  and  inner  struggles  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mortal  Strike  are  a  very  great  sounding  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Here  Comes  The  Tank"  "Mg  42"  "One  Against  All"  and  "Zombie  Attack".  8  out  of 10. 

  

Infrared/No Peace/2016 Full Length Review

  Infrared  are  a  band  from  Ontario,  Canada  that plays  an  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "No  Peace".

  War  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  all  of t he  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  style  on  thrash  meta l while  the  riffs  also  get  very  melodic  at  times  and  the  solos  and  elads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  vocals  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  aggressive  manner  and  back  up  gang  shouts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  all  of t he  songs  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  during  the  mid  80's  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  classical  guitars  before  making  a  return  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction.

  Infrared  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal  that  is  very  aggressive  and  melodic  in  the  old  school  80's  tradition,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  death  and  destruction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Infrared  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Inframental"  "My  Good  Will"  "Some  Kind  of  Disease"  and  "Thoughts  Caught  (In  Between)".  8  out  of  10.  

   

Warfield/Call to War/imm Records/2014 EP Review

 Warfield  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Call  To  War"  which  was  released  by  IMM  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  aggressive  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  drums  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on t he recording  while  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  high  pitched  screaming  style.   

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  screams  almost  bring  in  the  aggression  of  death  metal  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  more  of  a  melodic  thrash  style  and  the  whole  ep  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Warfield  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal  that  is  very  heavy  and  aggressive  in  the  80's  German  Teutonic  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violence  and  war  themes.

  In  my opinion  Warfield  are  a  very  great  sounding  German  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Call  To  War"  and  "Under  the Surface".  8  out  of  10. 

Running Death/Overdrive/Punishment 18 Records/2015 CD Review

  Running  Death  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  modern  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Overdrive"  which  was  released  by  Punishment  18  Records.

  Dark  sound  effects  along  with some  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  before  introducing  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  which  also leads  up t o  a  heavier  thrash  metal  direction  that  still  uses  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  When  vocals  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  aggressive  yet  melodic  style  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  along  with  acoustic  guitars  also  makes  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  On  some  songs  you  can  hear  some  elements  of  the  early  90's  thrash  style  some  of  the  more  mainstream  bands  where  going  for  at  the  time  while  also  taking  it  into  more  of  an  aggressive  direction  and  there  is  also  a  brief  instrumental  while  the  remaining  tracks  bring  back  vocals  and  on  one  track  the  vocals  get  aggressive  almost  bordering  on  death  metal.   

  Running  Death  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal  that  is  very  melodic  and  having  a  good  balance  between  both  the  modern  and  old  school  forms  of  the  genre,  the  production sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark, violent  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Running  Death  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hell  On  Earth"  "Close  Minded"  "Pray  For  Death"  and  "I  See  A  Fire".  8  out  of 10. 

Furious Barking/Desmodus/Italian Thrash Relics Vol. 1/Rude Awakening Records/DeathStorm Records/2015 SPlit CD Re-Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Italy's  Furious  Barking  and  Desmodus  called  "Italian  thrash  Relics  Volume  I"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  by  Rude  Awakening  Records  and  DeathStorm  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Furious  Barking  a  band  that  plays  a  progressive  form  of  thrash metal  and  their  1991  demo  "De-Industralized".

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  clean  playing  and  melodic guitar  leads  along  with  soem  synths  in  the  background  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  more  of  an  old  school  thrash  metal  direction  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  and  back  up  gang  shouts  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  use  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats.

  You  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to them  while  some  sections  display  more  of  a  progressive  style  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  are  also  a  couple  of  instrumentals  along  with  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  demo  released  in  the  early  90's  while  the  lyrics  cover  alienation,  social  issues,  anti  religion,  sci-fi,  psychology  and  horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Furious  Barking  where  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of t he  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "W.W.M.O.D"  and  "Soldiers  (Hill  A136)".

  Next  up  is  Desmodus  a  band  that  played  a  pure  form  of  thrash  metal  and  their  1992  demo  "Human  Wreck".

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy  and  aggressive  thrash  metal  sound  along  with  some  blast  beats  before  adding  in  melodic  yet  aggressive  vocals  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  a  pure  style  of  thrash  and  while  the  music  was  recorded  in  the  90's  it  would  of  had  a  better  audience  in  the  80's  and  the  music  also  always  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  musical  style  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  real  life  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Desmodus  where  a  very  great  sounding  thrash  metal  band  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Human  Wreck"  and  "Everything  Is  Dying".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  thrash  metal,  you  should  add  this  album  to  your  collection.  8  out  of 10.

Critical Solution/Sleepwalker/Punishment 18 Records/2015 CD Review

  Critical  Solution  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Sleepwalker"  which  was  released  by  Punishment  18  Records.

  Dark  sound  effects  along  with  clean  guitars  and  distorted  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  thrash  metal  direction  along  with  soem  blast  beats  and  the  riffs  also  using  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  aggressive  yet  melodic  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording.

  back  up  gang  shouts  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  throughout the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also  gets  very  brutal  at  times  along  with  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats   and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  being  an  instrumental  while  the  remaining  songs  do  bring  back  in  a  great  amount  of  vocals.

  Critical  Solution  creates  another  recording  that  contains  all  of  the  heaviness  and  aggression  of  thrash  metal  while  also  mixing  in  the  melody  of  traditional  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Critical  Solution  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sleepwalker"  "Evidence  Of  things  Unseen"  "Dear  Mother"  and  "Back  From  The  Grave".  8  out  of  10.

Cavador/Ensayo-29/04/2010/Live EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Cavador  that  is  also  in  the  old  school  thrash  metal direction  of  the  previous  ep  reviewed  and  this  is  a  review  of  a  live  ep  that  they  had  recorded  in  2010  and  released  in  2016.

  Drum  beats  and  a  heavy  yet  melodic  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  all  of t he  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  after  awhile  the  music  speeds  up  and  brings  in  more  of  an  old  school  thrash  metal  style  that  also  uses  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  when  the  solos  and  elads  stick  to  a  melodic  style.

  When  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  range  from  being  spoken  and  aggressive  while  also  having  their  melodic  moments  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  they  close  the  ep  with  an  instrumental  track  that  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.

  Cavador  displayed  a  style  of  thrash  metal  on  this  recording  that  was  very  old  school  and  raw  while  also  being  very  melodic  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  along  with  all  of  the  songs  being  recorded  live  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  politics,  social  decay  and  violence  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  ep from  Cavador  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  thrash  metal,  you should  check  out  this  live  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mundo  De  Dolor"  and  "Prometeran".  8  out  of 10.

Cavador/Prohibido Nacer/2015 EP Review

  Cavador  are  a  band  from  Argentina  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of   thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "Prohibido  Nacer".

  A  very  heavy  and  aggressive  old  school  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  while  the  vocals  are  very  aggressive  and  they  also  mix  in  back  up  gang  shouts  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  elads  bring  in  more  of  a  technical  and  melodic  style.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  briefly  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  utilize  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  also  get  melodic  at  times  while  also  maintaining  a  rough edge  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Sodom's  "Ausgebombt".

  Cavador  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal  that  is  very  aggressive  and  old  school  in  the  mid  80's  tradition,  the  production  sounds very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  politics,  social  decay  and  violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cavador  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Prohibited  be  Born".  8  out  of  10.

 

 

BattleX/Imminent Downfall/2016 CD Review

  Battle  X  are  a  band  from  Slovenia  that  plays  a mixture  of  heavy  and thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Imminent  Downfall".

  A  very  melodic  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  along  with  some  vocals  that  are  very  melodic  yet  aggressive  at  the  same  time  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  All  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in t he  80's  and  also  sounds  like  it  could  of  easily  been recorded  and  released  during  that  era  and  the  band  also  mixes  in  a  more  melodic  style  of  metal  in their  thrash  style  while  some  riffs  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  speed  metal  and  the  more  aggressive  parts  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  back  up  gang  shouts.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  track  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  along with  one  track  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  before  making a  return  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  a  brief  use  of  aggressive  vocals  that  are  almost  close  to  death  metal  as  well  as  a  few  seconds  of  blast  beats  while  a  later  track  is  all  instrumental  which  also  shows  acoustic  guitars  making  a  return  while  the  album  closes  with  a  heavier  song.

  BattleX  plays  a  style  of  thrash  metal t hat  is  very  aggressive  and  melodic  bringing  in  the  melody  of  speed,  power  and  traditional  metal while  some  of  the  heavier  parts  bring  in  a  touch  of  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real  life themes.

  In  my  opinion  BattleX  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  heavy  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Break  Your  Bones"  "Face  to  Face"  "The  Heirophant"  and  "Imminent  Downfall".  8  out  of  10.