Evil in the Night

I was pretty excited to check out Merciless Death when I first came across them, if only because of the album cover. This thrash act took off in the 2000s, being a part of the first wave of throwback thrash that was a bit less common back then than it is now. As interesting as they seemed, It disappointed me. Evil In The Night was the first album, and it’s a quick spin.

Right off the bat, the vocals bludgeon your eardrums due to how intense they are. Intense doesn’t mean pleasant; in fact, they’re pretty horrible. Picture Steve Souza of Exodus, but with blunter tones and sloppier delivery, honing in on those sharp rasps. To go along with that is an overload of speed metal riffing, with immense rates and loads of tremolo tied with monotonous drumming.

On the plus side, production on Evil In The Night, mainly the guitar riffs and drums is perfect. There’s enough clarity to prevent all of the songs from molding together, but not so much that it feels generic. It’s the songwriting and vocals that drive this into the dirt, and this strong attribute isn’t enough to dig it back up. It also doesn’t help that the vocals are way too high in the mix, as well as the solos. See “Command Death,” as it’s so fast and extreme that it loses any bit of life that came before, and the solo on this one feels directionless and jumps above everything.

So with that, I can’t really say I recommend Merciless Death’s debut. They’ve got the appealing artwork and the production that should be used for these releases, but the songwriting isn’t there. Nor can I say that the delivery is pleasant.

Dear fellows, I know it's a shame, here comes another candidate for the most shitty cover in the history of thrash metal. Guess it makes no sense to lose a single word about this so-called artwork. The title of the album also falls victim to stereotypes and so I am almost forced to concentrate on the musical content. But the next surprise is not long in coming, the output has a ridiculous playtime. I do not really know why M-A lists this work as a full-length, because the so-called album clocks in at 25 minutes.

However, despite all these negative signs, one thing is for sure. The trio from California does not lack energy, passion or aggressiveness. Their compositions do not reflect the mature facet of thrash which is appreciated by Testament and comparable formations. A list in the booklet with the headline "Much Hate to the following"provides insight into the attitude of the band members. They mention "posers, emo kids and nu metal fags" as well as "people who think Metallica and Megadeth are gods" or "people who prefer Pantera over Razor" and so on... This indicates a good mentality and, even better, they are able to express this mindset in an adequate manner. Their stormy approach offers a dense and violent dose of juvenile thrash. I am sure that they are familiar with albums such as "Darkness Descends" or "The Force", even though they blame Onslaught, probably in view of the later outputs, as an emo band... Either way, a certain dose of stubbornness has never been a fault in character. And exactly this feature is the cause why the album sounds very monolithic, because the three-piece knows only one direction. One could blame them for a monotonous execution, but here we have to remind ourselves of the short running time. It is not easy to bore the listener as long as you come to an end in less than half an hour. Thus, the permanent full-force-approach can be noted on the credit side. Especially the "Reign in Blood" influenced solos contribute to the scorching overall impression.

I do not want to pick out single songs, because they all originate from the same womb. Either you like or you hate them all, there is not much in between. The riffing is rather brute than sharp, the vocalist makes good use of his rather limited pitch, the drummer does a more than solid job and the bass guitar is consequently neglected. Indeed, there is more substance than I thought in view of the "highly original" song titles. The sound engineers also knew their trade. "Evil in the Night" scores with a compact and dense sound, although the bass is missing as mentioned above. In short, this output can give you a nice slap in the face without revolutionizing the glorious sub genre. But I guess it's obvious and absolutely okay that the three tradition-conscious maniacs did not have the intention to add new stylistic ideas to thrash metal. It's just a feast of brutal old school thrash and it sounds good.

I am not the type of person who gets his jollys slamming albums in my reviews. I listen to music for my enjoyment, and I will try my best to see the best of my fellow metal-heads labors, and look on the bright side whenever possible. Having said that this album is horrible. I honestly hope that it is some kind of stupid joke or parody of some kind, because this shit is so bad it undermines the entire thrash revival movement, and perhaps even the whole damn genre. If I were telling someone about the new wave of thrash, after directing them through the list of great spirited new bloods like Evile, Warbringer, Bonded by Blood, Skeletonwitch etc. I would tell them to steer as far away from this dreck as possible.

Now a major problem with this new wave is the lack of originality with a majority of the bands, as virtually no new ideas are being injected into the tried and true moshy rhythms of yesteryear to truly bring enough energy to show me that any of these bands are truly succeeding the old greats. If you've listened to Slayer and Exodus you have heard and loved this stuff before, though the quality is still there. But not here. Not even the slightest. The riffs are tired, simple, and played with little spunk. I honestly believe the band threw this album together after a couple drunken rehearsals. Like fucking blackout drunk. Oh and they only had 4 strings on their guitars.

Exaggerations aside, the guitar work here is boring and lifeless, at best with a couple of spurts of decency, awarding the album what few points the album has. There is kind of a bass under it all, and as it is so low in the mix, the guitar tone is very thin, like And Justice for All without the percussive power. Adding further to this shit pile are the drums, which tap away as dryly and energetic as the guitars. If you're going to name your band after a song by one of the greatest thrash bands of all time, one that happens to feature Gene Hoglan, at least pretend to be interested in your drumming please.

Finally we have the 'vocals'. Whiny, nasally, drunken rambling. Sounds about as inspired as... matter of fact I can't come up with a metaphor to accurately describe how horribly drab these vocals are. So I'll leave it at that. Oh and his few spastic attempts at hitting a 'high' note are laughable. There are no individual stand out tracks here. The same buzzing thin guitars, playing shitty Slayer throw away riffs with worse then basic drumming for the entire (mercilessly short) duration. The affair is very boring, and that is the worst sin a thrash album can commit. I should be headbanging and air guitaring! Everything here is the bare minimum with no inspiration behind it. These guys must not actually be fans of the craft, because all they have accomplished here is making a mockery of it. Yet that is not the image they try to put out, as the insert has a section that basically says fuck you to anyone who likes the big 4 or any of the popular bands. It is exactly this type of mentality that prevents the metal community from growing.

The fact that the label released this abortion tells me it was an attempt to make some quick cash capitalizing on the new interest in this grandest of metal styles. Other evidence supporting this is the short run time and obvious lack of studio budget, so they sell a few copies and make some money, while we happily support our underground scene. Well don't waste your support here. This is tired, lifeless, boring, dull, soulless, and has virtually no talent behind it. Spend your money elsewhere and be happy I listened to it for you. Kind of listened to it anyway. I find very difficult to muster all 26 minutes at a time.
Highlights:
In finishing this review I can throw my copy in the trash.

Another retro-thrash band? FUCK, what is this like the 50th one? Here’s what I say… WHO THE FUCK CARES! Thrash is thrash and thrash fucking rules, which is probably Merciless Death’s motto as they come from nowhere with this debut album, Evil in the Night. Like many other bands from this ‘subgenre’ Merciless Death take much influence from bands like Exodus, Slayer, and obviously Dark Angel. Hur hur why ‘obviously’ Dark Angel? If you just asked yourself that question you should probably stop listening to thrash. So with everything from the awesome album artwork to the name to the dumb yet hilariously stereotypical song titles and of course the band picture harkening back to the denim and leather days where fat men could barely fit into them aye… with all of that, what could be bad with this release?

Well, fellow thrashers, not much is wrong with Merciless Death’s debut album. It’s a solid non-stop action packed thrash album that starts at full speed and doesn’t relent one bit the entire journey. You may be thinking, “Yeah that’s what they said with Evile but they have some slower parts, and they suck”. Well you’re wrong still, don’t be fooled this is pure hyper speed thrash with a not so slickened production but still decent enough to be worthy of thrash metal. There are some elements that might be flat out speed or even some crossover punk moments brought in mostly by the vocals as well. The musicianship here is perfect, guitarist Dan Holder is obviously a big fan of Kerry King, Mille Petrozza, or some other fast shredders that favor outright speed over melody or any form of organization, which doesn’t really bother me I enjoy the solos here; they are used sparingly and in each song make it a helluva lot better than it would be without it. The drumming isn’t varied but it’s still done well at hyper speed keeping pace with everything else. Oh yeah, Merciless Death have the thrash part down and the kickass attitude but lack the variety and flavor needed for creating a lasting thrash metal album.

Songs on Evil in the Night range from downright kick ass to somewhat less than on par. It’s not to say that there are any bad songs on here, because I’ve headbanged to everyone of them it’s just that some are less memorable and not as good as the rest. I’m loving the riff onslaught Merciless Death keeps up, it may not be overly out there or original, but it keeps the pace for what a thrash album should be; wrecking your neck and whatnot. The Final Slaughter is worthy of mention with the main riff being one of the best on the album, plenty of mosh moments to be found. It’s that mentality of hearing the riff and loving and headbanging, but not being able to remember it or differentiate it later on which isn’t a huge deal but does withdraw some form of worthiness. Ready to Kill is another song to mention, after the entire album without stopping, I was wondering if they would change it up… NOPE! It’s probably the fastest on the album starting off with a kickass drum start leading straight into rip-roaring shredding out the ass guitar solos reminding me a bit of Total War by Warbringer. Either way it slays ass as well with some an awesome riff leading into another wicked solo at about 1:40. Vocalist Andy Torres has a very attitude driven punk type feel, almost like he’s trying to be very harsh while at the same time being a bit punk or crossover which isn’t exactly a problem but a bit to handle. Slaughter Lord is also the perfect opener song for a thrash album, having such vigor and power and leading away with a great chorus to shout along with, “UNDER THE EXECUTIONER’S COMMAND!”.

Merciless Death aren’t the greatest retro-thrash band out there (that goes to Violator, who Merciless Death sounds quite a bit like), but after this and the sophomore release I think they have moved from second tier retro-thrash to first tier. Keep an eye out for them they are worthy to the retro-thrash movement and have their minds in the right places. Evil in the Night is a very fucking solid album that keeps the same furious pace throughout and doesn’t give your neck or heart a break. If you’re interested in the retro-thrash movement Merciless Death is essential, if you’re interested in Violator, Hirax, and Warbringer then Merciless Death is essential. Old school thrashers would and should probably enjoy this as well, seeing as it’s solid and fun as well as harkening towards the old days very well.

In a sea of heavy metal repetitiveness and meritocracy, few bands actually achieve the status of true defenders of the thrash metal faith. With their debut album, Evil In The Night, Merciless Death cement their position on the forefront of the retro thrash movement, along with Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, and Fueled By Fire.

Many dismiss these bands as trendy posers rehashing old-school thrash. Evil in The Night proves these accusations to be half- false. They prove to be true fans of the genre by paying tribute to their thrash metal heroes (the liner notes even include a list of bands that have influenced them). Knowing this, its easily assumed that there is a lack of creativity occurring on Evil In The Night. These assumptions are proved correct when the listener is hit with the retro vocals extremely similar to Zetro (of Exodus fame).

The fact that this band is simply a tribute to the metal giants of the 80s is quickly forgotten as Merciless Death thrash out song after song with aggressive power. Through the madness of these incredible tracks, one becomes instantly aware of the genuine love the members have for the music they play. Its obvious that the power that Merciless Death possesses is impossible to fake and its simply ignorant to think otherwise.

Overall, this is a fantastic album that thrashes from start to finish without any mercy or remorse for the posers that may be listening. Its music FOR metalheads, made BY metalheads. Its extremely impressive to know that this is the bands debut album. It will be very exciting to see Merciless Death grow out of the thrash metal tribute band they are today and find their own identity as musicians. Either way, you better bet your ass its gonna kill em' all.

When I first heard Merciless Death I thought they were some old school 80's thrash metal band that I hadn't heard before. I was honestly shocked when I found out they were only about 5 years old. Merciless Death's first album "Evil In The Night" harkens back to thrash metal days of yore and it would seem that those days of yore are coming back with a vengeance.

The sheer intensity of Merciless Death musically is incredible. Of course thrash in and of itself is supposed to be intense and ball shattering but there are some bands who push that to the limit (bands like Dark Angel and Destruction come to mind). Merciless Death embodies all the elements of old school 80's thrash bands. This does not mean they are clones of the 80's thrash bands because Merciless Death adds their own unique mark to the thrash genre.

Technicality wise Merciless Death are not the crème de la crème but the flying guitar solos, sick shredding. and agressive riffage more than make up for it. Vocally, Merciless Death are a little different. It is not so different that their vocal style gets labeled under the "acquired taste" banner but it does take some getting used to. Around the forth song in however your nerves should be so pumped that it doesn't really bother you anymore.

Merciless Death's "Evil In Night" is hopefully a sign of things to come from not just them but their contemporaries as well. Perhaps we are witnessing a resurgence of 80's induced thrash metal. Let's hope so because Merciless Death are going to be leading the charge.

I dislike the clichéd notion that history repeats itself, but unfortunately for me, there’s a fair share of coincidences that keep that notion quite healthy in the popular sphere of things. Specifically, I’m referring to the reemergence of 80’s thrash worldwide. Just as the original players found their toils worthwhile as all the major labels began drafting their representative of the style in order to oust the competition’s metal assault, the labels of today have finally started to take a serious interest in this new trend and the draft has begun once again. Metal Blade claimed Fueled by Fire, while Earache nabbed the UK’s Evile (in addition to their earlier bounty, Municipal Waste) and bands like Warbringer and Merciless Death were signed to smaller label Heavy Artillery. The movement’s ground zero is Southern California, where the “retro-thrash” scene prospers and any newcomers declaring war under the flag of thrash metal can get significant attention without an entire lot of effort or innovation, while the struggling east coast, Canadian, South/Central American and European scenes are virtually ignored. What most embitters me about this is not that these other scenes are being ignored; but that the allure of success has caused a massive influx of thrash to the west coast and concurrently the “trendification” of that most blessed of genres (one specific example is the emigration of Pittsburgh’s Meltdown to the Los Angeles area. More on their defection in a later review). Thrash metal, or specifically “retro-thrash,” is the “in” thing to be playing nowadays and the rising amount of scenesters and thievery is both staggering and discouraging. There are beacons of quality, but for the most part, the scene lies in self-parody; too concerned with recasting the legacy of the past to concentrate on forging one of its own.

Before I continue on the album review at hand, I think it’s important to clarify what “retro-thrash” is. From my vantage point, it appears that most people generalize any modern thrash that stays true to the roots of its founders (ie: composed and performed in the key of ‘85) as a “retro” perversion of the actual genre. As far as I’m concerned, that’s bullshit. Surely a band can play purist thrash metal, free from the groove and –core influences (as well as whatever nonsense Anthrax and Exodus are polluting it with these days) of modern thrash, without being labeled as “retro” scenester copycats? Bands like Witchaven, Enforcer, and to a lesser degree Evile and Warbringer have a sound that is intensely reminiscent of their 80’s thrash forefathers (not to mention refreshingly devoid of groove metal and hardcore), but not so much that their material sounds pilfered from their influences. This, by my definition, is good, old-fashioned thrash fucking metal. On the other hand, there are bands that exist that are from all angles merely aiming to replicate the sound born from the blood, sweat, and semen (thrashers don’t shed tears) of thrash metal’s most hallowed innovators. Their riffs and transitions mirror better ones from two decades ago. Their lyrics tread no new ground and their aversion to variety is not only questionable, but fundamentally (and ironically) opposed to the founding principles of the genre they claim to be resurrecting. And let’s not forget their image: if an article of clothing wasn’t worn before 1985, you won’t catch these guys wearing it. Top it off with an inflated sense of self-worth and it equates to what I consider “retro-thrash;” the brand of thrash that’s gaining all the recognition.

Take, for instance, a band like Fueled by Fire, one of the first of these bands to be signed to a major label and one of the first quality bands to be signed to Metal Blade in years. Four of the songs off of their debut album deal with the notion that “Thrash is Back!” As much as I like songs about executing posers and namedropping classic bands, the lack of lyrical variety is not just tiring (more on this for the review of their debut), but enforces the stereotype of one-dimensionality our genre is said to have. Additionally, there’re enough pre-Black album Metallica-isms scattered throughout their album that if one were to welcome them each with a shot of gin, one (as well as one’s friends) could find themselves quite intoxicated before album’s end (I mean, or so I’ve heard). “Retro-thrashers” imitate, but try as they might, they can never replicate. As long as these bands maintain the philosophically flawed assumption that they can merely ride the coattails of the past to fame and fortune without bringing some new cards to the table, they won’t be getting a whole lot of my respect.

“So then Dawnoftheshred, are you planning on boycotting these bands and investing your hard earned cash in the next great metalcore band?” Fuck no. Though I completely disagree with their emphasis on image and unoriginality, in the end it’s all about the music. And when we’re talking about thrash metal, thrash is thrash is thrash is thrash is thrash is fucking thrash. I honestly hate segregating these bands with the “retro” tag and I’d much rather crank their shit than some horrendous groovecore garbage. But, alas, the term has been coined, so I have no choice but to use it to distinguish between the good and the bad, even if the bad is still eons ahead of the brunt of the modern metal scene. This concludes my lecture (my apologies for the length) on “retro-thrash;” now for the band and album at hand: Merciless Death and their debut, Evil in the Night.

For those uninitiated and already confused by my lengthy essay on the rebirth of 80’s style (read: TRUE) thrash and the blurry line by which it has been designated “retro,” here’s a brief history on the band:

Merciless Death are one of the many SoCal thrashers, with the distinction of having existed long enough to toil through the trenches of anonymity before getting noticed by and signed to Heavy Artillery records. Their debut, Evil in the Night, was first released with artwork so primitive and punky it wouldn’t have looked out of place as a Razor album cover, but after getting picked up by the label, had it redone by legendary metal artist Ed Repka, who achieved notoriety for his work with Megadeth, Massacre, Atheist, Evildead, Vio-lence, and Death, among many others I’m sure. The album became at least nationally distributed, as I picked up my copy in an FYE on the other side of the country (later saw the LP in a local record store). The band has also recently completed their first US tour (on which I saw them live, dispelling a few preconceived biases). Consequently, they are generally considered one of the primary constituents of the thrash revival.

So the good things about the album? Well, it’s thrash all right, and pretty intense at that. The songs would be somewhat reminiscent of material that might have been released somewhere in the ’84-’86 range, except for their brevity. The eight songs on here come to only twenty five minutes (somewhere Katon DePena is smiling), and not a second of it is wasted in clean interludes or melodic departures. The tempo is relentless; almost entirely kept in a double time pace. Though it hurts the potential for variety a bit, it showcases the great endurance of drummer Cesar Torres. Dan Holder provides the break-neck rhythms and crazy solo-work (more in the dissonant Slayer/Vio-lence vein than anything melodic) while Cesar’s brother Andy Torres provides the bass and the vocals. Andy has a deep, gruff sort of singing that’s almost like Steve Souza’s: aggressive but coherent. Fast, aggressive, raw, and frantic, Evil in the Night blazes forth at a pace that most of the classic thrash acts have long forgotten.

So should you dash your entire speed metal collection to the ground in order to place this release on a pedestal, the grand album that it is? No you shouldn’t, because while the music here is still really good, it’s severely lacking in originality. The riffage consists of chord progressions and tremolo picking and little else, as Merciless Death fall into the “retro-thrash” trap of only playing fast passages (many of which sound pilfered). Very few riffs stand out, and then it’s mainly the mid-paced riffs (mostly because they’re so few in number). The bass guitar might have helped make a difference, but it’s basically mixed out and I’m pretty sure the lines just follow the guitar anyway. Dan Holder is a talented guitar player, but his lead playing isn’t really inventive or particularly distinctive. The drums are fast, well-played and well-recorded, but because of the unvaried tempo, there isn’t really anything standout-ish here either. Same goes with the lyrics. Not that I mind the generic thrash metal subject matter (of killing and war and hell and such), but these are pretty unmemorable and repetitive (two songs with “slaughter” in the title (“Slaughter Lord,” “The Final Slaughter”)), with the exception of some ‘borrowed’ lines (the “ride the wings of death” one, for instance) and some occasional cheese (“he did not for the honor and glory, but only for tits and ass”).

Merciless Death being an average thrash band wouldn’t even be such a big deal if it wasn’t for their image. Besides milking the “retro-thrash” dress code (they’re all wearing the same pair of white high-tops in the sleeve pic), the caption above the inner sleeve picture reads “Thrash Metal’s Future Warriors.” Kinda presumptuous, eh guys? Below this is a “Much Hate” list that reinforces the biggest preconception I had with this band: that their ego is too fucking big for a band that isn’t doing a whole lot more than what was done much better twenty years ago.

But even with the predictability, egotism, and clichés present in their debut album, Merciless Death are still a band with a lot of potential and Evil in the Night is still great for a casual headbang. Perhaps if they shed the desire to sound like their influences and focused on sounding like themselves, they’d be able to put out an album on par with some of the best and the brightest. As for now, they’ve merely just provided us with a taste of the past. I don’t know about anyone else, but I look forward to a taste of the future: a time when good thrash metal will be able to rely on substance rather than nostalgia and innovation will carry more weight than image.

Highlights: maybe "Act of Violence"

As most thrash lovers know, most modern thrash albums are just about as enjoyable as eating rusty razors. Merciless Death's debut album Evil in the Night is definitely an exception. This is not just good, this stuff is fucking great, and it sounds as if it was recorded in 1986.


These guys are just so good. They sound a lot like Exodus with a touch of Destruction. This is fast, its rough, its got riffs out the ass. One of the best parts of this is what it doesn’t have. It doesn’t have any stupid grove passages, or any annoying gothenburg leads. Its just great straight forward thrash metal.


The highlights on this album are the razor sharp riff work, as is with most thrash albums. Most of the songs on here are pretty memorable, even catchy at times. My favorite song on the album is "Deadly Assault". There are just so many great riffs in this song. The opening riff sounds like it could have been off a Vio-lence album. The riff under the solo is also insane. "Exumer" is almost just as good. It’s got a killer chorus and some excellent riffs. The album stays really consistent throughout the whole thing. There aren’t any throwaway tracks, and the album never gets boring. Every song on here is worth listening to.


The vocals are really good. They are angry shouted vocals with a definite similarity to Exodus. The album clocks in at only 25 minutes. Personally I kind of like shorter songs. Most of the songs are under 3 minutes, but none of them seem underdeveloped. The production is very good. It's pretty raw and it also has a crushing guitar tone. Overall this is just one hell of a thrash album, and if more modern thrash sounded like this, the world would be a better place.

Mother of hell, where did this come from?? I only found out about this band when I saw a copy of this album on vinyl in a record store, and I noticed the date on the cover was 2006. What record was this that had a band named after, well we all know where they got their name from, killer cover art depicting zombies feasting upon a helpless girl, and dated so recently? I immediately bought the vinyl and headed back home, unaware that I was holding some of the greatest thrash metal created since its glory days in the 1980's.

This album is pure LA thrash metal served up '85 style, mostly in the Bay Area vein. It has it all: speed, aggression, rawness, catchiness, you name it, it's here. You will immediately recognize the Exodus influence (A Lesson in Violence anyone?), some Dark Angel-style riffs, plus of course Exumer's Possessed by Fire. Not only is there catchy riff after riff, but there are plenty of breaks throughout, and of course your standard speedy thrash metal solos. The vocals resemble Steve Souza's (Exodus) somewhat and fit well with the music. This album is very intense and there aren't any slow songs. Most importantly, however, is that the songwriting is excellent. In an interview with the band, drummer Cesar said that they didn't release the album until they were completely satisfied with the result, and let me tell you, it was worth it. This is not thrash for the sake of thrash, this is music to satisfy the bloodlust of those who want more songs by their metal idols of the 80's.

It doesn't really make sense to talk about the highlights of the album, since the whole damn album is a highlight. The songs flow very well together, making the album function as a unit rather than merely a collection of tracks. I suppose if I absolutely had to pick my favorite tracks they would be Slaughter Lord, with the heavy intro, lightning-fast strumming (but that's found everywhere here), then... "UNDER... THE EXECUTIONER'S COMMAND!!!!" followed by a neck-snapping break (another recurring characteristic of this album), Deadly Assault, a shorter but damn vicious number with Bonded by Blood style riffs and two different breaks, Act of Violence, because it rules (shut up, what else do you want me to say?) and The Final Slaughter, for, once again, excellent riffs and well-placed breaks, with some solos thrown in for good measure. The band has put up 2 songs from the album on myspace, Exumer and Ready to Kill, so you can get an idea of what you're in for, but I wouldn't really say they are representative of the quality of music found on here, because once again, this album works as a whole and should be heard from beginning to end, rather than taking bits and pieces out of it.

The album is played in the 4/4 time signature that we all love (some of us only secretly), and the songs have the good ol' verse/chorus structure, which is how most good thrash is played (Exodus, Dark Angel, Possessed, the list goes on...). It clocks in at around 25 minutes, but not a single one is filler. Just play it again when you're done. The production is slightly unpolished, but that is of course a bonus when you're playing this kind of music (and some purists would say a requirement). I think the drums are a bit weak in the mix, but that's about the only gripe I have with this record. This is uncompromising thrash metal by-the-numbers. That means that you aren't getting anything innovative here stylistically, but you will be too busy searching for your head to even care about that. I definitely look forward to future releases by this band, because they clearly know what they are doing and are yet more proof that thrash isn't dead and will continue to live as long as we, the musicians and fans, keep it going. If you like thrash metal you must get this album because there is simply no way that you won't like it. This is thrash metal violence at its finest.