As the thrash revival continues to slowly unwind, it’s nice
to see that there are still new bands popping up that bring something
interesting to the table. As much as I love the straight-forward old-school
sound of records like “Enter The Grave”, “Feed The Beast”, and “The Art of
Partying”, it always amazed me that there were very few bands out there that
explored some of thrash’s different styles. Hailing from the UK, Reign of Fury
is a band that does just that. While the album cover looks like it is
influenced by Toxik, it’s too difficult to pin down their sound to just one
band. The opening track, "Goodbye Mother Earth", opens with a Metallica-esque lead before
moving to a simpler chugging sound. Eventually, it would find itself in a
heavy, stomping groove (not unlike many Obituary songs). And that’s just the
first song…
As a whole, it would be fair to say that this is a speed/thrash
(or even power/thrash) record. There aren’t any parts that sound exactly like
Agent Steel or Heathen, but their influence is definitely prominent. Likewise,
the epic harmonies of Iron Maiden are spread throughout the record, most
notably on “Heaven Waits/Hell Takes” and “Born To Die”. The former track
features some harsh vocals, which are used quite tastefully considering that
the majority of the record is sung cleanly. Vocalist Matt Stead is just one of
those singers who is giving all of his energy into this record. His vocals are not quite
as clean as David White (Heathen), but they also aren't the harsher rasp found in
most thrash. He is definitely more of a singer than a screamer, and that works
to Reign of Fury’s advantage. Another area where the band stands out is in the
guitar playing. The guitars in thrash are always great, but they tend to fall
into the trap of playing mainly rhythm parts with a solo here or there. Reign
of Fury makes it quite clear that they love lead sections, and quite often
harmonize these leads. This increased sense of melody makes it a lot easier to
remember the longer, more epic tracks that the band writes. Which brings me to
my final point: it’s great to see a band that goes back to a simplistic 8-song
album. Metallica proved it better than anyone: when you have your best 8 tracks
on a record, it can be 50 or even 60 minutes and still never feel like it has
gone on too long. “World Detonation” is another great example of how picking
your best songs can translate into a longer album that still remains fresh
throughout.
Ultimately, “World Detonation” is just an inspired record. The
band is quite open to any metal influences and uses them properly throughout the
album. I will admit that if you are only looking for riffs, this might not
compete with every new thrash album, but if you want a band who puts a lot of
thought into their work to make a unique thrash album, Reign of Fury is the
perfect band for you.
Be sure to check out and like Reign of Fury on Facebook!
Highlights
"Heaven Waits/Hell Takes"
"Born To Die"
"World Detonation"
Final Rating
4.25/5 or 85%.
Written by Scott