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So I have a few thrash releases to review this weekend. The nice thing about modern technology is that I can put a ton of cd's on my PDA/cell, listen to them for weeks on end, and really get a good listen. With several of the releases I have been listening to the past few weeks being true old school thrash, I get a perspective I don't normally have when I am reviewing things. Sometimes I am so starved for true old school thrash, that some may get a positive review they don't deserve. Everything now is so flat and monotone in metal in some lame attempt at everything being more brutal than everything else, that this style has become a little rare. Recently there seems to be a slight return and even band's that left it for something closer to death metal or metalcore are returning to it. The difference? Dynamics! Even this band's last cd left me feeling bored after a few songs because of this. Not saying they were either metalcore or the modern (and boring) breed of death metal. Sure it was thrash, but the dynamics were not near as good as the old stuff and also not near as good as this release! This cd is a true return to form. The cd kicks off with "Lord Of Hate". A great song with lyrics that involve more thought than even some of my favorite thrash classics. Glad to see a thrash band that isn't afraid to ask their fans to think a little. "Sonic Beatdown" is just what the title suggests. It is a perfect example of what I have been trying to tell people for years now. Dynamics are way moe heavy than flat bear on the mic vocals over top of a 45 minute blast beat any fucking day! "Dethroned" at times reminds me of the heavier material from Voi-Vod, but then goes into a straight up thrash tempo. "Carnival Justice" picks up the tempo a little while still maintaining the depth a picky bastard like me expects before I will call it true old school thrash. "Buried Alive" has a great groove to it at times that can really get the blood pumping at work when you think you have no energy left to give. "Soulless" is a song that I have to say I feel like there is something wrong. I can't figure out what it is. Maybe the totally clean vocals are not mixed with the more raspy vocals right? I like it, but it could be better. "The Noose" has a nice raw thrash feel to it that I miss when listening to the newer band's that claim the thrash style. "When Worlds Collide" has a cool rhythm that could make this another sing along classic for the band live. "God Vs God" has a really cool build up that goes into a cool slow thrash groove and back to mellow. It is these elements that put this cd at the top of the stack of band's both returning to the old school thrash sound as well as the younger bands giving new blood to this mighty style. "Steal The Crown" has an upbeat tempo that has just the right beat to get me through the end of a day at my really shitty job that sucks everything out of me. "Resurrection Machine" ends things with that ever so rare epic thrash song. At two seconds short of 7 minutes it may be considered long by some for a thrash tune, but I had listened to it more times than I can count before I noticed it's run time while doing this review. So did this Rock My Monkey? Yes it did. Will I listen to it after this review is posted? Yes I am sure of it. It is highly recommended to anyone who wants a little more from their old school thrash. Sure it gives a beatdown, but it offers so much more than that and for me that is what makes it special. This is a potential for my top five of the year.
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