Holy Moses - Redefined Mayhem (2014)

   Despite being one of the earliest thrash metal bands in a scene that gained wide international attention, Holy Moses was never one of the best known or most popular names in the genre. This is partly because their music was also not the easiest to go into, and partly because their performances were far from being stable, like switching from impressive albums to completely forgettable ones. For this the main reason could be that their songs always sounded like they were edited on some design table. Theoretically great compositions, but what looks good on paper, not always sounds so cool in practice. 
   Fortunately "Redefined Mayhem" counts as a wave crest in their discography - unlike for instance their following and farewell album "Invisible Queen", that could serve as a guide for how to end a band's career the most inglorious and disappointing way as possible. In fact, "Redefined Mayhem" could have been a way more worthy final album, not only because it's simply better, but also cause it sounds like a summarizing life review of the band's past. Catchy themes with the same "not too revealing" character that have been typical to their early period could be found the same way like songs with the more aggressive tone like on "Strength Power Will Passion" for instance. The returning reference to dogs also showed up in the lyrics  like in the old times (probably a strongly dog lover band), and also male vocal (not only in secondary supporting role as usual) could be heard in the last short song. And after getting used to Frau Classen's legendary voice an album length, it does effect the same way surprising as back then. For those who missed Holy Moses' early period, this record is definitely a potential favorite, cause it really shows the old school energy of the late '80s / early '90s. In fact, by the nearly complete absence of speed/thrash metal in the past 3 decades, Holy Moses was the few remaining bands who kept going (with a longer break) since the golden age of the genre and barely changed in the meantime. A nostalgic and entertaining album indeed, just the way how it was 3 decades ago. 

Dead Rooster - Midnight Special (2013)

   It is (or should be) widely known, that since the early '90s no real metal styles or genres have shown up, only the mix of already existing ones. And since then it's also impossible to make anything new, no matter how much the mainstream scene is struggling to introduce new "perspectives" (the hipster way) or made up genres (weird style mixes), or styles that simply haven't been known yet for mainstream audiences. However, to make something good and impressive is still possible, though it's also challenging to not do it as an exact rip off (like how nowadays most commercial extreme bands do). From this approach Dead Rooster was definitely one of the most impressive and most interesting bands in the early '10s underground scene. 

   They've debuted in 2012 with "Witches of Belial", a strongly drone influenced sludge/doom EP. It was quite an actual style pick at the time, when the importance of sound - and to be exact, mainly noisy, heavy sound - grew, and plenty of new bands experimented with something similar. But for their full-length album they didn't continue the same line, instead they switched to something way more intense, by releasing a thrash / punk influenced record. It was literally the opposite of what anyone could have expected from a drone/doom band. And it seems like the band felt to be at home in both styles, since both "Witches of Belial" and "Midnight Special" were just excellent. The drone-ish, sludgy influence made the simple punk /thrash riffs sound way noisier and dirtier than usual. Also the same sound and rusty-shouting vocal style turned the basically punk themes less punk-compatible and more thrash-like. This step was advantageous in two ways: first, immediately it switched in analogy with the currently also quite actual old school / vintage tendencies in the underground, and second, it was like a remake of the transit from punk and heavy metal to the birth of thrash metal. Like a modern, rough reintroduction of the early '80s, from a band that switched from the modern pathfinder way to a vintage, old school, but also quite actual direction. And to hear a quote from Venom while listening to the album is just the tip of the iceberg. Two songs from their previous EP also could be found here as slightly more intense, re-recorded versions. The contrast of the mainly determining fast intensity and the down-pulling, apocalyptic tone is also golden. Despite its short length and raw simplicity, "Midnight Special" became a quite impressive and energetic album. An underrated masterpiece that highlighted a long time missing piece and spirit from the main metal scene.

Dream Death - Somnium Excessum (2013)

    Dream Death was formed in 1985, and during their short active period in the '80s they've released one full-length album, that sounded quite unusual at the time, especially compared to other coetaneous American bands. Their themes and sound strongly reminded to Celtic Frost, and their music in general was like a mix of hardcore/crossover thrash and doom metal. Even if "Journey into Mystery" didn't receive wide attention back then, with time the album got rediscovered by underground audiences and gained a cultic status because of its genuine sound. 

   Probably this outcome of events (on the side of the necessarily occuring nostalgia wave of aging musicians) led the band members to resurrect Dream Death two decades later. They've recalled their old style with success, but this time focusing more on the contrast of hardcore/crossover thrash and doom themes. The Celtic Frost influences are still there, but their importance reduced a bit. By this step, the narrative, shouting vocal style have lost its only validating holding ground, and it's ineffectiveness is floating above heavier than before. Especially since the '80s have been over since a long while. Honestly, this style mix have never been an absolute win, since these two styles are kinda difficult to merge and perform by leaving behind something unified and enjoyable. The song structures and musical solutions are interesting though, but the same time they just making the songs harder to go into. Back then the old Celtic Frost influences did have unifying role, while their strong presence took a lot from the band's genuineness, but by their reduced role, this unity was damaged. "Somnium Excessum" sounds like a less advantageous form of an early Carnivore influenced Type O Negative album, that was lost somewhere between two exaggerated points. For the fans of special and unusual music experiments it might be worth to give it a listen.  

Intractable - Inner Decay (2012)

   Intractable's one and only full-length album was on the border of old school and new wave tendencies. The interesting paradox about "Inner Decay" was, that even though the two directions the band merged are quite relatable, the audiences of these specific scenes are rarely covering each other.

   Despite Intractable's music definitely had '90s roots, the result sounds quite mid-late '00s influenced. It could be for two possible reasons. First, the groovy thrash metal they played have very similar influences like what metalcore had basically. Since metalcore on the side of major hardcore and groove metal elements also included some simplified "dummy" form of thrash metal, it might be not a surprising outcome if groove/thrash ends up sounding similar to metalcore. The other, maybe even more possible reason is the band members direct influences came by the actual scene, that they most possibly had in the '00s. That decade was also about the fast rising and spreading of metalcore, and even though Intractable preferred thrash hammering instead of melodic switches, their music still had the same '00s hardcore/metalcore touch. The lyrical concept of social criticism is compatible with both styles, therefore it could serve as a unifying bond between, if such a thing is needed on the side of musical analogy. "Inner Decay" might be compatible with both thrash metal and hardcore / metalcore audiences, it's definitely mosh pit suitable music.

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.

Purify - Hellophile (2011)

    Since the late '90s it nearly counts extraordinary if new thrash metal bands showing up, and usually they're not long living projects. This haven't been different in the case of Purify either.
   Their aggressive, mainly Sodom influenced thrashing recalls the golden age of the German thrash metal scene, but without imitating it's '80s and early '90s sound. Still this small difference isn't enough to describe their music as some modern interpretation of an old school style. The strict limitations of the genre not blocking only to develop any genuine features, but also making difficult to not refer to any of the well known classics while listening a new band. From this view it might be not surprising, that all of the very few lately formed thrash metal bands who gained some popularity and were able to manage to stay active for longer than a few releases, had to mix the style with something else. Purify didn't seem to have further intentions than to play the same raw intensity they've probably enjoyed the most back than. In solo themes and frequently returning short, melodic leads even older, heavy metal rooted references could be discovered. However their role is too short to have some diverse effect on the side of the strict intense hammering. But in the case of old school German thrash it's not really preferred anyway, therefore for the fans of the style Purify cannot be disappointing.

Derision - Ancient (2011)

   Derision played an audience friendlier form of thrash metal with groovy influences that probably came from Pantera and Exhorder. This style is definitely compatible with mainstream audience too, but therefore it could be more difficult to spark attention by a kind of generic style and in the shadow of the big names by referring to them. 
   Intense speed combined with simple, groovy themes is always a good recipe to reach masses of people, especially on live shows because it's easy to go into and could assist the party mood well. Similar to newer thrash bands like Demiricous, the sound and the song structures also followed accurate tendencies, so for the fans of the modern sound of metal, or for younger audiences Derision's music was also easily consumable. In general "Ancient" was a quite promising debut, but for some reason the band wasn't active for long after, and therefore they didn't cause any explosion in the scene. Probably because of the evidently Pantera-like thrashy/groovy style, that at one hand was advantageous and enjoyable. But it also proved to be disadvantageous in another way, when it's about to deeply catch and keep the interest of the audience. Party compatible music that sounds familiar, easy to relate to, always could fire up the mood, but couldn't offer many further possibilites, or anything deeper. 

Nekromantheon - Divinity of Death (2010)

   To hear great quality thrash metal nowadays is more than appreciated, because it counts occasional to find any new and serious thrash bands since the past few decades. 

   Nekromatheon recalls the late '80s with their wild and aggressive thrashing, that's strongly influenced by old Slayer, Sadus and Kreator. Their debut is definitely like a nostalgia album, not only the style, but the sound, the song compositions and the lyrical topics are also fitting to the golden age of thrash. The extreme speed of thrashing paired with the aggressive tone introduces the final accord of the genre, the point from where further styles developed. Though their music doesn't seem to lean to any direction, the borderline of death and black metal isn't far. This is one of the main reasons why "Divinity of Death" sounds so authentic. The band was able to catch the main feeling and the very core of the late '80s thrash metal, like nearly no one else was able to since the past decades. Old bands have changed during the time, and newbies are usually not so determined to recall that seemingly long time gone essence. The other advantage of this tone is, that even though it counts nearly vintage nowadays, it's intense wildness is more compatible with the audience since the appearence of more extreme genres. Not suggested to miss out for big thrash fans.

Hellhammer - Demon Entrails (2008)

   Hellhammer needs no introduction for the fans of extreme genres, but still it took a very long time until the predecessor of Celtic Frost earned the release of a compilation that collects all their works.
   On the side of early Venom, these demos and rehearsal room records (on the side of the "Apocalyptic Raids" EP) representing the very basics of all extreme metal styles. And even though Hellhammer didn't reach so wide attention like Venom, still they reached a cultic level, and became a main inspiration for many bands in the followings. Even thrash and speed metal were just about to born in the early '80s, but Hellhammer was already pointing forward with the darker tone that was swolling from their simple and characteristic themes. This exact feeling was recalled only decades later by newer old school styled bands, but back than it proved to be as fruitful ground that opened new perspectives for others. And even for themselves under Celtic Frost as they later showed, but in a completely different way. Their themes and sound became an icon and were incomparable in their time, even if most part of the main impression came from the result of their poor recording circumstances. "Demon Entrails" commemorated worthily the beginning of a new era in metal music.

Eliminator - Breaking the Wheel (2008)

   Before Eliminator caused an intense "WTF?" reaction with their late not really unified experimenting albums, they've recalled the feeling of the '80s with a very nostalgic speed/thrash debut.
   The recipe was exactly the same like 20 years earlier, and even in sound "Breaking the Wheel" may fit well on the side of the most famous Bay Area thrash albums. The difference is that Eliminator's music was more complex and sounded like the speed/thrash bands after many years of routine and development. Extreme speed in themes and solo parts and higher diversity. Blast beats and frequently returning cawing/growling-like vocal pushed their music further to a more aggressive level, so all together the album isn't far to be called as experimenting. Still it keeps staying between the borders of the style. It was almost like a band that probably many old school metal fans were looking for since a while, except... The frequently returning problem with bands who are musically so skilled at the beginning, that they can reproduce the highest quality of a style with no sweat is, that they will probably switch style very soon (like what actually happenned in the case of Eliminator). They're seeking further challenges in progression or/and in experimenting, or just starting to play something more popular if they didn't find the previous style enough profitable. In both cases they're losing most of their audience, so it's like a complete restart for a band.

Scatha - Keep Thrashing! (2007)

   Scatha showed up with a very promising demo, but unfortunately they have gone after. It's sad, because they had quite big chance to break out even from the depths of underground.
   Their music referred back to the '80s thrash metal, but without copying the features of any scenes or exact bands. It was like a new fresh swing of a young band who tried themselves in an old school style that was long forgotten. They've wrote pretty good themes, and their song structures didn't even suspect that all was made by a totally amateur band, though the members were so young that time. All songs were composed good and the vocals were quite aggressive to be effective too (reminds to the growling style of Sabina Classen from Holy Moses). The fact that Scatha was a band with full female lineup would have been also enough to spark attention, especially in the not so feminine genre of thrash metal. From the late '00s more females appeared in the main metal scene, and nowadays it's not even a big deal anymore, except if the whole thing is not slipping into a melodic-emotional collapse. The band has returned after a decade with a different lineup, but in that form (and after such a  long break) they couldn't reach their early level.

Hellfire - Hellfire (2007)

   Hellfire was formed in the early '90s, but after a short and not so eventful active period they've gone. After a long break the band have returned to keep playing thrash metal.
  Strange, but even though they doesn't count as newbies, their music completely lacks the genuinely mixed style of South American bands. Hellfire was strongly dedicated to play "Teutonic thrash", and about their intense hammerings and themes the influence of Sodom and Kreator are the most mentionable. This one sided ambition is more usual at newer bands, but anyways, Hellfire didn't leave anything to chance. The reference to German thrash metal is also represented in "Hellfire's" excellent sound quality, and  especially in the clear sound, that's also less usual to find at the oldies of the local scene. It's also the advantage of clear sound is that it's able to increase the effectiveness of simple and repetitive themes. The album holds plenty of enjoyable surprises for the fans of traditional thrash metal by it's nostalgic features. It's simple, aggressive and rude, just like how this style have to be.

Fatal Embrace - Dark Pounding Steel (2006)

   Fatal Embrace is haunting the German thrash metal scene since the early '90s as one of it's less known, and wildest bands. Similar to many of their coetaneous bands, their full-lenght debut release was manifested only at the end of the decade, so they also haven't partaken much from the first great wave of extreme metal.
   "Dark Pounded Steel" was their third full-lenght album, on which an already well experienced band could be heard. Compared to their earliest releases the musical and sound development is quie spectacular. The good old dirty sounding thrashing turned heavier, and therefore the border of thrash/death metal seemed closer than ever. The band didn't keep their influences in secret, and those are showing through on the basic perspective of thrash metal. The Death cover song is one thing, but in the followings quite surprising references are there to find, that are reminding to Sarcófago (the "Laws of the Scourge" era) or to Sabbat. But basically nothing shocking happened, the band always seemed to sympathize with the dark toned concept of Slayer, and all the followings could be deducted from this point whether they are direct references or cioncidental. However this made the album not only nostalgic, but also summarized the thrash related well made experiments of the late '80s/early '90s embedded into modern sound quality.

Violator - Chemical Assault (2006)

   Thrash metal was forced into background and had only some tertiary role in the main scene since the early '90s. Except the oldies, several promising, but short lived new bands and plenty of fun made nostalgia projects, nearly decades have been passed without any new really charismatic thrash metal band.
   The appearence of Violator brought back the long lost and awaited intensiveness into the genre. The most aggressive and intense old school aspect of the style had a modern reinterpretation in their music - it's thrash metal at it's best quality, just the way how it used to sound. There's not a calm moment to find on their debut, and maybe it's not an exaggeration to say that nothing similar was released from a new band since the '80s. Their impressive swing could be compared to Sadus, their heaviness to Slayer, their rudeness to Sodom. It's also interesting that if cultic scenes growing out themselves and disappear or just remaining in some vegetative state (like the Bay Area scene or the once so influental German thrash scene), the newbies may appear at various other locations, but South America always seemed to be as a stabile outpost of old school metal. So it's no wonder that Violator wasn't the first and not even the last band from there with evidently traditional ambitions. "Chemical Assault" partly recalls the feeling of the '80s, but also proves that thrash metal still could be very effective and harsh sounding compared to the changes both into softer and more extreme directions that meanwhile happened in the main scene. An excellent album for the most prejudiced fans of the genre!

Disaster - Criaturas del mal (2006)

   Such as everywhere else, in the South American underground scene the old but less known names came into focus as most of the earliest extreme bands disappeared or changed style to gain wider popularity. And of course the new names like Disaster who dedicated themselves to stay at the old school roots by playing thrash metal.
   The scene went through some changes meanwhile. The mixed style that was one of the main characteristics of South American metal, was almost gone. The newer bands seemed more determined to use the toolbar of exact genres. One common thing stayed, their extremely aggressive style. It's also correct about Disaster, their intense thrashing counts as one of the most aggressive and rageful one of the '00s. Thrash metal was everything but popular, so this style selection already counts exceptional. The insane musical rampage they've committed reflectig authentically the higher temper of South American metal. Exaggerated music from exaggerated circumstances that's close to step through the furthest border of thrash metal, and reminds to style of the late '80s, when extreme styles were born. "Criaturas del mal" is strongly recommended for the fans of intense musickness.

Inquisition - Anxious Death / Forever Under (2006)

   Inquisition became known as a genuine black metal band, that was partly influenced by Mayhem, but preferred to go on it's own way. It was a long way, but apart from the main directions of the genre they earned a cultic status with time.
  They formed in the late '80s and debuted as a thrash metal band, and at the beginning their music showed some similarities with the main tendencies of South American metal. Most old bands in that region were like mix of the lately distinguished and defined extreme genres, and at Inquisition on the side of their intense thrashing some affinity to their late style also could be sensed. That was mostly represented in their exaggeratedly aggressive tone and in the vocal style. They also preferred to write way longer songs than it was usual. These songs were free from any frippery, they kept playing wild and intense. At the foot stones the birth of a notorious black metal band couldn't be expected yet, they just sounded like a promising Sepultura influenced band, who might like to show more than other tharsh formations that time. This compilation includes their debut EP "Anxious Death" and the demo "Forever Under" to commemorate condignly how everything was started.

Holy Moses - Strenght Power Will Passion (2005)

   Sabina Classen is an iconic figure not only in thrash metal but also as one of the first women who growled instead of singing. And even though her name cannot be seperated from Holy Moses, the last year of the band passed without her. On their last album before their split-up, her ex-husband guitarist Andy Classen did the vocals too.
   After a long break the band returned in 2000, and fortunately without the unwanted line-up change. "Strenght Power Will Passion" was their second full-lenght album after regrouping, and Holy Moses didn't seem lost without Andy Classen at all, since Sabina proved to be the essential part of the band. Somehow they always sounded harder to go into and less catchy, so Holy Moses was never sorted to the "elite" of thrash bands, even though they were between the very first ones. Compared to the old albums, their music changed a bit too thanks to the new line-up, and on the side of the harsh wildness there are plenty of catchy themes to find. The new members meant different influences too, and wider diversity. While many old bands usually turning softer or more generic with time, at Holy Moses things seems to go to the opposite way: they sound more energic and intense than before, and even Sabina's growling is like more aggressive than ever. Big returns and style changes are mostly not welcome by the old fans, but Holy Moses didn't change too much, and only for their advantage, so the legend was successfully resurrected.

Decadence - Decadence (2005)

   Even though it's not possible to show anything new in thrash metal, some bands appearing from time to time to remind to the "good old times" of extreme metal by their nostalgic musical approach.
   Decadence was  one of the rare newbies who brought back the feeling of the '80s metal scene by their music. Even though their strong affection of intense thrashing is evident, they are more melodic than it could be expected from a thrash metal band. The influence of speed and heavy metal also could be sensed from their lots of catchy melodies. It sounds like if they tried to find some balance between the intense speed, aggressive female vocal and melodic themes, and the latest had the heaviest weight on the scale at the end. Some themes on the side of the vocal style are able to cause some déjá vu effect, and if they tried to remind to Holy Moses... but Decadence's music isn't so raw and it's definitely audience friendlier. It's more like an individual summation, a little bit of everything that was good in '80 metal. So even though the scale turned more to the brighter side, the band found some kind of middle way that could be compatible for the fans of heavy, speed and thrash metal too. They are able to show something interesting for those who may get bored of repeating features of any of the less preferable styles.

Overcast - Under the Face of Chaos (2003)

   From the late '00s more and more bands showed up with such an old school style that reminded so much to the extreme scenes of the '80s and early 90s, that only their sound quality was a suspicious sign. At the beginning of the decade similar bands were more rare and less successful, but they could count as their forerunners.
    Overcast guides the listener for a time travel back to the '80s by their traditional old school thrashing. In their music the influences of the Bay Area and the German thrash scenes could be sensed the most. They preferred to stay at a less aggressive sound, but therefore they created more complex song structures. By the latest move they avoided the monotone effect of their music, but it became less unified the same way too. Plenty of theme changes and catchy melodies are interrupting the fast speed that their music dictated. With fresh, modern sound quality, but by following the old recipes they introduced the wildest musical manifestation of social criticism. For fans who find enjoyable the mix of the '80s style and the more technical metal, "Under the Face of Chaos" is strongly recommended. Would a unified musical composition had sense in the case of chaos? It's the listener's job to decide.

E-Force - Evil Forces (2003)

   Thrash metal was forced to take a back seat since a while, but fortunately some newer reinforcements came from time to time to refresh the scene.
    One of them was E-Force from French Canada. Their intense debut summoned a feeling that was missed since a long while from the main scene. They sounded a bit different compared to old school thrash, because some modern influences also could be sensed in their music, but it still had the needed nostalgic characteristics. Probably the softer kind of thrash and the Bay Area scene was also between their influences such as the more aggressive direction. The improved features are that they tried to substitute the typical softer themes and yowling vocal style of the first one with something more actual. In the early '00s it's was hardly possible to reach any serious impression with the musical toolbar of the '80s, so some modernization was needed. That they performed creatively by their own way, and that made their music more colorful than usual. By the lyrical themes they followed the classical tone and topics of the genre."Evil Forces" was a reinterpretation of an old school style that didn't run down only by intense thrashing, but also had some renewing ambitions.