I was already ready to give this band a high score for their album art. Then came the first single, 'True American Hate', with excellent drumming from the drum none other than Gene Holgan (who is just 'filling in' for the band's original drummer, Paul Bostaph formerly from Slayer) and fantastic guitar from Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson. This is no exaggeration. The basic elements of proper riffing and primal drumming in thrash metal has been lost over the years, and with the recent resurgence of old school thrash metal, most noticeably from Kreator and Overkill this year, and Havok last year, thrash metal is getting a major shot up the arm almost three decades since the inception of Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth.
The entire album is overflowing with great riffs and an outstanding vocal performance by frontman Chuck Billy. He does not do unnecessary screams or growls, he does not sing like a choir boy. His voice is distinctly metal, without having to resort to the typical metal styles. A good comparison would be olden day Metallica or even Symphony X. Also, the lead guitar from Alex Skolnick is intricate and not wasted with ugly spam solos which we haven't heard from Slayer in a while (they were apparently supposed to come back). The songs are definitely made for energetic live shows that engage the crowd, as seen in the call response chorus in the first song, 'Rise Up'.
The album, by regressing in their sound, undoubtedly carries the same flaws olden thrash metal has. The album is shallow and has laughable lyrics. There is some level of depth in the guitar solos that pervade the songs, but they do not amount to much. Bands like Havok bring vigor and youthful energy to the genre, Revocation adds in jazz elements and Vector overcomplexifies the genre. Modern thrash, though not immediately accessible, is definitely the new standard for thrash metal. While this album is welcome and reminds old schoolers why we love the genre, it doesn't do anything to push the genre further.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average - Half of album is listenable
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