Enmachined is the first thrash band from Bangladesh that I’ve
come across, and if they are any indication of the quality of metal from that country, I need to find some more Bangladesh thrash. “Thrash Assault” is their
first and only demo so far, and it is exactly as advertised. This 3-track
experience features a number of quality riffs. Even better, however, is the stellar vocals. It seems like most of the better 80’s thrash bands had a unique
vocalist, and this is something Enmachined has managed to emulate. Their singer
sounds like no other. He has some of the snarl of Blitz, with the
character-filled shouting of Zetro, along with a few other less obvious
influences. Though he spends much of the demo yelling frantically at the
listener with little display of vocal range, he definitely fits the mold of a
charismatic thrash vocalist.
“Loggerhead”, the opening track, is mostly a mid-paced track
that is centered around a few good riffs. It doesn’t inject you with speed, but
there is definitely a bludgeoning heaviness to it. The opening to the title
track has some very prominent Exodus influences (you might hear a bit of “Scar-Spangled
Banner” in it), but this track is a bit faster and thrashier than “Loggerhead”.
Much like the first song, this tune has some impressive lead guitars. In fact,
this song uses a technique much used on Metallica’s “Kill ‘em All” where there
is a shreddy lead that quickly cuts back to a rhythm riff. This pattern is then
repeated a couple of times, before breaking into the longer portion of the
solo. “Thrash Assault” is definitely the highlight of the album, primarily for
its speed. The closer, “Piranha”, will not quite give you visions of the Exodus
classic. Once again, this song shows the band in more mid-paced territory. The
vocalist does manage to throw in some more flair with higher screams that will
definitely conjure up visions of Bobby Blitz singing. While this song does work
well (alongside the first one), the band should definitely get in the habit of
writing faster stuff. On “Thrash Assault”, Enmachined is at their strongest
when they thrash out, and while a demo can survive two out of three tracks
being mid-tempo, a full-length record would need far more speed.
Highlights
"Thrash Assault"
Final Rating
4.1/5 or 82%.