Metal Reviews

Most of those bands you listed I have heard or heard of, and I understand what you are saying. But it's a lot easier nowadays to get a hold of the new thrash albums than it is to get a hold of those older obscure bands. I like those old bands, I just like the new bands to. I don't think the new bands are better than the older bands, I just like hearing them to. I'll admit a lot of the new bands are pure shit, but there are some that I do really enjoy. Anyway, that's all I really have to say for now.

I'm going to have to agree with DW on this one. If a thrash album is good, what should it matter if it was released in 2008 or 1988? Not that a lot of retro thrash isn't mediocre- but so was a lot of 80s thrash.

That's my whole point. Compared to the old thrash that is available, and by that I mean whatever does not require an unreasonable amount of effort to acquire....and I think the bands I listed are quite easy to get ahold of. And the sheer volume of 80's thrash that is available to us is staggering. And, since all available 80's thrash is without a doubt better than retro thrash, what is the point? If we were to add up all the "retro" thrash bands that now exist...at a generous estimate, they would still be dwarfed by the catalogue of "available" more inspire 80's thrash. So, for me I fail to see the point in listening to any retro thrash. Again, I do understand that some people will find the need to listen to this music...I however, fail to see the point. But again, no one is right or wrong here, I just need a little help understanding.

I do agree that a lot of 80's thrash is mediocre, but compared the number of 80's thrash metal bands that absolutely rip, the ratio is an acceptable one. With retro thrash bands, the ratio between good and mediocre bands is sadly unacceptable in my opinion.

I find interesting that Thomas gave Evile a 91 score while Under The Influence only got an 81 and Breaking The Silence a 90 (i know its only 1 point less but whatever), when this new retro thrash scene or whatever you want to call it started my initial thoughts were that this new movement would bring new fans to the old thrash classics, apparently i was dead wrong, kids fail to realize that Overkill and the other bands were not only playing thrash in the 80s they were developing that thrash sound that we all know and love, they listen to the new bands and like what they are hearing but not without a reason: is thrash metal and is actually played very well, while an old fan listen to them and thinks : "i've heard this before and i've heard it better", all those new retro bands are only rehashing what the old bands created back in the 80s and that is fucking bullshit, this hipsters are only diminishing what overkill and the others helped to create and i say the fuck with them.

When i first heard Municipal Waste i thought they sounded great (i still do) i thought "hey these guys are like a DRI tribute band" i love crossover so i thought it was really cool that a band in this day and age played in an unpopular 80's style, but now is like every day we see a new thrash band plaguing the scene with stolen riffs, fake attittude, and a sintetic 80s sound, and most of them should have never left their garage.

And about this review Bonded By Blood should have 20 points off the score just because of their name, serioulsy how uncreative can a band be? fucking wannabes.


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You mentioned Overkill in your post. Their name comes directly from the Motorhead album (even if the word does stand on its own as a good band name).

I'm gonna be dead honest here when I admit that I really appreciate some fresh blood in this genre. I need new shit to listen too, and some these new guys more or less provides it. I like the new thrash bands, if you can't stick with that then don't bother reading my reviews. No before you go all suicide on me, I'll state that I love the old thrash scene as well.

As far as my rating is concerned, I'm comparing new bands to other new bands and their ratings and it's the same with the retro-bands. Every reviewer in every magazine does that. You'll always find new bands with better ratings than Master of Puppets or Number of the Beast or Under the Influence. That does however not mean that I prefer Evile over Overkill or Heathen... But I do enjoy them a lot more than I enjoy Bonded by Blood or Gama Bomb, hence I can't give them a 70 / 100-score... I'll be the first to admit that I might have overquoted that one a bit, but it's an outstanding album to me, and to many others and therefore worthy a score in the high eighties at least.

reviews of "retro" thrash bands should come with an asterisk. The asterisk should mean "these riffs have all been played before by better bands."

All your posts should come with an asterisk saying "this bitching has all been done before in earlier threads." Some people just like the new production and the ability to actually hear and see these bands live unlike ADX or Satan.

Why can't we like the old bands and the new bands? I know that I sure do. I like the older bands better, always have and always will. But I also enjoy a lot of the newer bands. Even if most of it may be something I have heard before. But fuck, Exciter played a heavier Priest riffs back in 1983. But nobody hates on Exciter for using those riffs. Exciter is not the only band either.

i'm not a fan of many retro thrash bands but i don't see why what time period a band is in has anything to do with their quality =\

Clearly a score in the sixties has placed me in a camp all of my own, too generous for the haters, too harsh for the neotrashers. Don't put me down as arrogant, but my mind is not for rent, and why can't I like new thrash a bit but think ultimately it's rather silly?

I can live with that.

Dont get me worng Thomas i wasnt attacking you with my comment and even if we put the scores aside, my point stands your Evile review is a very energetic one, with lots of praises like "When the heroes of old are failing us... it is reassuring to know that bands such as Evile are there to provide us with some good thrash of the old school" and then in killing songs you mention "All" this clearly states that you practically love the album wich is fine actually im not accusing you of anything im sure a lot of stuff that i listen to is considered to be crap by lots of people (ie Edguy), on the other hand the feeling i get from your overkill review is that while you actually like the album it didnt impress you that much, that imo is very interesting and thats the impression i get from most fans of this new retro thrash scene that they would rather listen to a mixed bag of rehashed riffs and ideas than the original stuff now that probably isnt your case but thats the feeling i got from reading your reviews.

Well... I'm probably more excited about the new stuff, because I've been missing the energy and the balls from the old days. And it pleases me to hear that Evile among others is doing a very good job keeping thrash "alive" or whatever.

As far as the Overkill concerns, I really like that album, but it's lacking some of the key stuff that makes me love The Years of Decay, hence the lower score..

Anyone recognize the first riff on the album?

Hidden message: Heavenly - Virus?

Or am I just overly ambitious.

Just listening to this for the first time now.

Actually, Zad, I think your review is really good, kudos.

IMO the album is very high quality; damn good riffs, great lead parts. If it had been released before the whole retro-thrash scene appeared then I would love it. But then that is the problem, right? The same could be said for a lot of bands. How much you rate this album depends on how much you think a band should be punished for not being original.

EDIT: It is a bit like all the back-to-basics horror movies coming out today, as a reaction to all the pg-13 films and the remakes (i.e. nu-metal and emo in this analogy). They all embrace the whole brutal 80s aesthetic, but it will never be the same as Evil Dead etc... just because it isn't the first time round anymore.

Goddamn. If black metal band can conceive something original and interesting (see Vorak, Lugubrum, Caina, Benighted Leams, etc.) then I'm pretty sure a thrash metal band can, too. But as it stands, thrash metal is still black metal's retarded, wheelchair-bound, cross-dressing stepfather.

And yes, I'm quite aware that I praised a couple of songs by these guys a while back, but the love only lasted for a few seconds.

zzzzzzzzz

at least thrash bands play actual music rather than being European vampire wannabes or just making noise