Here are some quick reviews of albums I heard while my computer was messed up for the past two weeks.
Overkill-The Electric Age: New Jersey thrash icons Overkill still have it after all these years. Despite not being my favorite thrash band ever, since the dawn of the new millennium they have been the most consistent old-school thrash band. The Electric Age continues Overkill's trend of kicking ass well into their third decade. While not quite reaching the heights of their amazing last effort Ironbound, The Electric Age has a very similar feel and an almost equal end-result. This album is full of speed, catchy riffs and hooks, and Blitz's trademark snarl. The laggy midsection of "Wish You Were Dead", "Black Daze", and "Save Yourself" bring down the incendiary opening duo of "Come and Get It" and "Electric Rattlesnake" and temporarily derail the momentum of the album. Thankfully the second half is thoroughly consistent and just as good, if not better than the first two tracks. I know it's early, but I doubt we will hear finer thrash this year than The Electric Age.
4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.All Over But the Shouting
2.Come and Get It
3.Electric Rattlesnake
3 Inches of Blood-Long Live Heavy Metal: The album title say it all: 3 Inches of Blood is a band that is hellbent on keeping traditional heavy metal alive. This record is a throwback to their earlier days and they are able to recapture the magic of their earlier albums. The riffs on this record are absolutely killer. Their last record Here Waits Thy Doom was lacking the thrashy and classic metal riffs they are known for so it's awesome that they brought it back. The thrash influences are turned up to the level they were on Fire Up The Blades. The thrash-edge to their sound is when they are at their absolute best. "Leave it on the Ice" might be the thrashiest song in their catalogue, it sounds almost exactly like 80's Metallica (from a riff-standpoint). Cam Pipes's vocals have declined a bit, but he still maintains his over-the top awesome style very well. 3 Inches of Blood still is not for everyone, but this is an absolute must-listen for fans of classic heavy metal. Their best since Fire Up The Blades.
4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Leave it on the Ice
2.Die For Gold (Upon The Boiling Bridge IV)
3.Look Out
Municipal Waste-The Fatal Feast: Waste in Space: This record didn't really make that much of an impression on me, but it definitely exceeded my expectations. The lead single "The Fatal Feast" was pretty weak, so I was glad to hear the rest of the record that was better. The odd thing is the the instrumentation is a lot stronger here than on Massive Agressive, but Tony Foresta's vocals have definitely gone down in quality. At times he sounds fine, but at others he sounds pretty weak. Still solid, fun, crossover thrash, but the Waste has definitely seen better days.
3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Covered In Sick/The Barfer
2.Jesus Freaks
3.Standards and Practices
Hour of Penance-Sedition: My main thought while listening to Sedition was why I haven't to Hour of Penance sooner? This some seriously badass brutal/technical death metal. They combine the two sides brilliantly and effortlessly and it makes for extreme metal bliss. They remind me a lot of Behemoth and Fleshgod Apocalypse (which makes complete sense considering how many members of Fleshgod were once in Hour of Penance). "Ascension" is one of the best songs I've heard all year. The groove-esque riff in the middle is guaranteed to start crazy pits in the live setting. Sedition is great stuff and I will be delving more into Hour of Penance's discography soon.
4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Ascension
2.The Cannibal Gods
3.Decimate the Ancestry of the Only God
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