Toxic Trace - Torment (2011)

In case of a thrash band, extreme intensity and aggressive approach as style features are not surprising (except if it's about Bay Area thrash of course). But there's are always levels how these features could be involved, and if Toxic Trace was introduced as a thrash/death band, it wasn't far from the truth.
   Even though their music was probably mainly influenced by German thrash classics, such as Sodom or Kreator, they've passed far beyond, to nearly ending up at the border of the genre. Therefore the overwhelmingly intense and aggressive touch of "Torment" reminds more to the extreme approach of South American thrash bands like Disaster, or in general to bands who mixed thrash with death or black metal influences. In themes they stay strictly inside the border of the genre, but the intensity on the side of the cawing/growling vocal assistance pushed the scale a bit further. Except some occasional middle speed themes, there are no slow downs or empty phrases to find on "Torment", and also no calm moments. Short, noisy solos are assisting. The album is like one fast unified overwhelming rush, based on simple but effective themes, that are well managed to not turn boring. It's thrash metal exactly how it supposed to sound like, and might be more than satisfying for the fans of the genre.

Infest - Anger Will Remain (2007)

   Infest just imploded into the nearly metal-less area of the Balkans with their aggressive thrashing in the early '00s. Their full-lenght debut left no doubts about that even if this style was forced back into the depths of underground, it's still alive.
    "Anger Will Remain" was a raw, but still strong debut that may leave behind some nostalgic feeling in the listener by it's short catchy themes that are frequently interrupting the intense hammering. The fast thrashing have complete leading role on the album, like if it was an angry unstoppable war machine that represents the band's hatred of religion, and goes through everything and everyone. War is also a returning lyrical topic by detailing it's reasons: mass manipulation of the currently leading power, especially by religious causes and the assistance of the Church in highlights. The local audience can probably easily relate to that, since similar problems were quite actual in that region not so long ago. This intense utopistic daydream of a war that gives the final strike for the Church and it's obsessed followers reminds to the more Satanic concept of Deasater and to early Venom's less serious imaginations. The approach of Infest is more reality inspired.

Bloodbath - Traumatic Memories (1992)

    Like most early extreme metal albums from Eastern Europe, "Traumatic Memories" by Bloodbath also didn't remain in the best quality for the after-ages.
   They count as a poineer band of this style in Serbia, founded in the late '80s. The interesting thing about this album is it's various educible influences. It's not an ordinary thrash/death album, more like an experimenting one. Classical heavy metal themes are common, and they occasionally created some melodic theatrical atmopshere by keyboards which in style referring to the '80s. These changes are mostly sudden, unexpected and it's doubtful if they truelly succeeded with their preferred effect. In general it's an intense, aggressive album, but the weaker sound quality and the atmopsheric sound turning it much lighter. "Traumatic Memories" is a far more colorful album than it would be usual from a thrash/death band, creates a bridge and transition between the '80s style and the early '90s extreme metal, by involving both.