Suppressive Fire – Bedlam

Released in early 2016, “Bedlam” is the debut full-length from American thrashers Suppressive Fire. Black/thrash is the name of the game on this release, as it consistently offers some very rough around the edges thrash, primarily due to both the production and the vocals. This means that the guitars have more of a buzzing feeling to them throughout the records, which proves to be quite effective. Unfortunately, every instrument is often left to fight with the drums, which are simply overpowering. This is particularly evident on songs like “Coup d’état” or even the opener, “Ceasefire”, where there is a lot of blasting. The primary issue is that the snare drum is both a little too loud, and doesn’t sound particularly good.

Nevertheless, this is only a slight distraction from the riff-filled mayhem that ensues throughout the record. The aforementioned “Ceasefire” shows the band at their best, as it makes use of gang vocals in true thrash fashion. In general, however, the appeal of “Bedlam” is the fact that it’s considerably tighter than a lot of other black/thrash. Bands in this style are often a little sloppier, and while Suppressive Fire does have some production issues, it does not effect their playing at all, which has tons of wicked drum patterns, interesting solos, and most importantly, great riffs. There even a bass solo on “Coup d’état”! The growls on this album will definitely remind you of any number of German thrash singers, with slightly more emphasis on the blackened side of things. 

As “Bedlam” progresses, it does tend to wear thin. Suppressive Fire is able to get their point across relatively quickly, and does not have much variation throughout the album. If the drums were a little less in the foreground (and used less blasting), it would probably be an easier listen. Regardless, there is a lot to like here, and “Bedlam” is undoubtedly going to satisfy the needs of any black/thrash-seeking metal fan.

Be sure to check out and like Suppressive Fire on Facebook!

Highlights

"Ceasefire"

"Thy Flesh Consumed"

Final Rating

3.5/5 or 70%. 

Written by Scott

Living Terror – Warfare

One look at the logo of Illinois’ Living Terror is all you need to know you’re in for a thrashing good time! “Warfare”, their sole release to this point, is a 2-song demo that offers up some of the more inspired black/thrash metal in existence among newer bands. The black metal influences come entirely from the vocals, which are incredibly raspy and more on the higher-pitched side of things. This actually comes as somewhat of a surprise in contrast to the music, which is very straight forward thrash metal, and would not have been out of place in any number of famous 1980s thrash scenes. While Living Terror is generally good about mixing up tempos by offering at least a little bit of mid-paced aggression, there is no shortage of speed on this demo. A fantastic example is one minute into the title track, where after running through a riff a couple of times, the band’s drummer kicks things into overdrive by loading on the double bass. This is a fantastic, Slayer-esque technique that has largely disappeared in thrash due to the commonplace nature of double bass. 

The subsequent track, “Lust For Blood”, takes a different approach as relies on more of a mid-paced gallop. Again, the riffs are simplistic, but incredibly effective. Things do eventually speed up, as the band throws some wicked trills into a crazed-alternate picking pattern. The ability to seamlessly transition between these two sections is impressive, and makes “Lust For Blood” feel incredibly natural. This is really a good way to describe the demo as a whole; as much as I love modern thrash, this release doesn’t sound modern at all. The production is sharp enough to give the guitars a serious attack without dominating the low end (meaning that the bass stands out easily). The drums also don’t overpower the rest of the band, making for a balanced-sounding release. My only real complaint is that I’d prefer a more standard vocal approach. It’s easy to imagine these guys with a distinctive, Zetro or Blitz-esque singer, and how wicked it would sound. Nevertheless, “Warfare” is a seriously bright spot for thrash right now, and the wait for the inevitable full-length has begun!

Be sure to check out and like Living Terror on Facebook!

Highlights

"Warfare"

"Lust For Blood"

Final Rating

4.3/5 or 86%. 

Written by Scott

Amken – Theater of the Absurd

“Theater of the Absurd” is the debut full-length from Greek thrash band Amken. The band made a relatively big splash with their “Adrenaline Shot” EP, and has returned with 8 tracks of blistering, uncompromising thrash metal. From start to finish, this album shows an uncanny ability to pump out riff after riff that will induce immediate headbanging. The band’s approach is fairly typical, as Exodus-inspired riffs can be found constantly throughout the record. The singing is similarly in vein of Paul Baloff’s style of yelling your guts out. Amken’s vocalist is slightly harsher, almost resembling Mille Petrozza at times. He doesn’t have a particularly noticeable accent, instead sounding like a typical thrash vocalist.

The band knew what they did well on this record as they kicked things off with “Shattered Sanity”, which is the best song on the album. It feels like the entire song is building until the closing chorus, which is built for screaming along to. Another highlight is “Soul’s Crypt”, which features a wicked, proper thrash breakdown riff. With that said, most of the songs have something to enjoy, even when they’re not particularly unique. The title track, for example, has a pretty catchy chorus, where things slow down a bit and get slightly more atmospheric due to a well-placed lead. It also helps that the bass is audible all throughout the record.

The only song that does feel a little more unique is “Obedient Dogs”, and that is primarily because the song starts out heavier and slower than the remainder of the album. It ends up thrashing just as fast and as hard as anything else Amken has put out. While “Theater of the Absurd” as a whole isn’t too original, it is able to fulfill all of your thrash needs more than adequately. This means that if you’re not sold on newer thrash bands, Amken won’t convince you, but if you worship this stuff like I do, they’re more than likely to get the pit started!

Be sure to check out and like Amken on Facebook!

Highlights

"Shattered Sanity"

"Soul's Crypt"

Final Rating

4.1/5 or 82%. 

Written by Scott