My first impression of this by looking at the cover was "Alright another run of the mill new thrash act". While that is definitely embedded in this record there is more than meets the eye here. The Full length debut starts with the three minute long intro track (Goodbye Mother Earth) then the album kicks right into the thrashing. The thing that caught me WAY off guard was the vocals.
Vocalist Bison Wrathbone has something in his voice that I haven't heard in thrash in a long time...melody. At times his voice delves into a almost punkish sound (think early AFI, Koffin Kats). The melodies he creates are incredibly catchy and easily digestible, which yes I know is an oddity in the current state of the genre, He utilizes intelligible death growls sparingly enough to act like a sort of treat to the listener. truth be told, I think the vocal work and delivery here is what separates these guys from the rest of the retro-worshipping pack.
The musicianship here is has the speed and technical prowess to stand up with the rest of their contemporaries. They really are good players, the problem being they love to play too much. Out of the eight tracks, three of them breach the eight minute mark and then there's the three minute intro. No instrumental intro should be three freaking minutes long!
Especially considering the punk vibe to these songs, they should be short and sweet. The long periods of guitar work start to make this album start to slug on a bit. If the filler of the string work was condensed and another song took the place this would be a near perfect album.
The production of this alum is fantastic as you can distinctly make out almost every cymbal crash. The only thing is at points the mixing makes the guitars over power the vocals. All in all though you'll be singing these chorus' for days too come. So if you're looking for a new thrasher to hold you over 'till Metallica releases a new album (ya know in eight more years lol) this album is definitely worth purchasing. There is a lot of showcasing for promising talent by album two so go out, buy it, and bang your fucking head!
RATING: 7 OUT OF 10
NOTABLE TRACKS:
"Heaven Awaits/ Hell Takes"
"Born To Die"
"World Detonation"
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