Metal Reviews

I've found that when listening to thrash I really like the intro to the songs, where the band goes through some really cool riffs and guitar harmonies... but then they seem to ditch that idea and go into a boring chug-chug-chug-DunUN type riff for the verse, then "eh" guitar solos and stuff later in the song...

...so I was wondering if anyone knew any instrumental bands that played thrash type riffs? Or a thrash band that didn't go into boring stuff once the vocals come in?

Early Man. I saw them this summer with 3 Inches of Blood. Good stuff.

http://www.earlymanarmy.com/

Mastery

http://www.masterymetal.com/

Early Man wasn't anything special...

i'm browsing Mastery's website now..

EDIT - Mastery's "lethal legacy" officially rocks
i'll listen to the others as soon as i'm done!

http://www.myspace.com/masterymetal

Death Angel - The Ultra Violence (the song)

I pretty much agree. Mastery were exactly what I was looking for

Wow--great band! If somehow the record store I go to has their CD I might have to pick it up...

It's pretty much the same thing for me as with Noodles for most traditional thrash bands. I like stuff like Metallica and Megadeth, but stuff like Testament and Anthrax (though I like) I can only listen to sometimes. This is really good, though.

Hi noodles,I know this is a little late,but have you checked out Electro Quarterstaff?Their new album Gretzky is absolutley amazing,though that is personal opinion of course.These hilarious guys play a swashbuckling mix of thrash,tech death and well....generally progressive metal all around.They kick ass!Here are some amusing descriptions:

From Willowtip:Electro Quarterstaff is an instrumental triple-axe shred team from the northern Canadian plains fully loaded with brain cancer string manipulations and bacon sizzling concussions of percussion. While never a stranger to expansive dynamics, Electro Quarterstaff explores its own fertile garden of shimmery snakecharming melody, groaning seasick harmony, and freewheeling rhythmic explosions in hopes to entrance the most assertive of listeners into a tangled symphony of sludge and frantic fretboard disembowelment.

Absorbing influences as disparate as Bartok and Gorguts along the way, Electro Quarterstaff remains a progressively-minded entity focused on visceral songcraft and layered, polyphonic instrumentation which highlights a seamless integration of wide-eyed romantic melody within a framework of orchestral complexity and devious song structure. We refuse to adhere to any musical rulebook and actively strive for bulletproof musicianship and hypnotizing fluidity. Mountains of charming riffs await to enchant you.

From their description:Detailed, elaborate, epic instrumental progressive thrash metal that freely incorporates stylistic aspects common to technical death metal, doom, grind, prog rock, and modern classical in an effort to deliver direct, propulsive attacks to the senses. While we embrace a sprawling sense of complexity, we are untrained musicians and feel the application of musical theory is a burden on the creative consciousness and thus strive for an organic "feels good sounds good" approach to songwriting which eschews an exclusive reliance on technical skill and the typical Dream Theatre douchebaggery. We're insatiable riffmongers determined to redefine the limits of creativity and are committed to the constant challenge of pushing structural arrangements further than what could be expected without embracing unnecessary emotional or musical cliches. We're amateurs on our respective instruments but confident in our ability to come up with some neat shit that isn't fucking repetitive or predictable.

I love these guys,they're funny and write good music.

Early Man is awesome! I wouldn't say they're thrash, but they do have some thrashy parts. They're a nice mix of 80's metal and stoner rock. The singer sound like John Arch at times!

haha I actually just heard Electro Quarterstaff for the first time last night. They're definitely really good (kinda reminded me of Trephine how they're technical, but more in a way that they like to write cool riffs rather than spazz around with unique time signatures), but I think they would be better with a bassist . They just don't sound "rounded out"... if that makes any sense.

It's probably just because I play bass that I notice it.

Haha yeah,the lack of a bass player kinda hurts the overall sound,but I still love it.Its cool that you play bass,it seems everybody and their mother wants to or does play guitar.Bass,keyboards and drums don't seem to get enough credit or respect,with the formost usually being turned down to the point where I wonder if they are even plugged in.

Still,its cool you're getting some good replies.