Australian thrash group Abraxxas has
recently put forth their second release a little over a year after their first
demo. “The Killing Fields” shows the band taking a step forward in every
aspect: production, songwriting, and performance. Though it features just two
tracks, “The Killing Fields” single is an impressive effort. The title track
kicks things off with plenty of speed, power, and aggression. While the song
has some twists and turns throughout it, much of its runtime is spent moving at
full speed and thrashing everything in its path. The riffs may be somewhat
standard, but they do feel more inspired than most other thrash these days. The
verses in this song sync up the vocals with the riff that accompanies them, and
this makes these sections especially potent, though the entire track is an
immense thrasher.
The other song on this release, “Grendel”,
feels a little bit more calculated. While it also can reach some impressive
speeds, the first minute or so of the song is spent on slower,
headbanging-inducing riffs that incorporate plenty of trills before launching
into huge power chords. Later in the track, the band makes use of very twisted
leads underneath the vocals, which helps to keep things interesting. Though “The
Killing Fields” comes out firing on all cylinders, it is actually “Grendel”
that leaves the bigger impact. Perhaps more importantly, however, this single forges
a much more positive impression of the band than their already solid demo. If
Abraxxas could put together a full-length of this quality, they’d shoot to the
top of the modern Australian thrash scene alongside Harlott.
Highlights
"The Killing Fields"
"Grendel"
Final Rating
3.9/5 or 78%.
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