Surge Assault - Lust & Misery (2015)

   Surge Assault debuted with "First Division" a raw, but promising blackened thrash EP, that wasn't too refined yet, but the band's imagination about what they wanted to do was clear.
   By "Lust & Misery" their full-length album they have returned as a band who mastered black/thrash metal completely and whose name could be mentioned among the heavy hitters of the style. Also the black/thrash they played was strongly related to the '80s nostalgia based trend that keeps frequently appearing at Swedish bands, such as Bewitched, Mordant, or early Paganizer. The only difference is that Surge Assault didn't intend to sound exactly like a long forgotten band from the '80s. They focused on thrashing intensity instead and for this an advantageous sound was picked. Thrashing black at it's best so to say, and by this quality their intensity is comparable to what many South American bands do in this style. The same spirit and the same overwhelming energy. Catchy and wild riffs combined with punk rooted thrashing beats, probably it's the best and most effective combination for an old school concept like this. And the biggest advantage is that it's pretty difficult to fail in this style. For the fans of thrash and blackened thrash "Lust & Misery" is a potential long term favorite.