You know what you get with Overkill. The legendary thrash outfit who are now hitting us hard with their latest album, their 19th full release. Hard on the heels of the excellent The Grinding Wheel, The Wings Of War does everything that you want from an Overkill release. It’s brutal straight up thrash metal which really warms the soul amid so many pretenders to the crown. With Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth continuing to snarl and growl his way through each track, ably supported by DD Verni (whose presence here is a damn sight better than his recent solo release) and a new drummer on the stool in Jason Bittner, making his recording debut with the band after the departure of long-time drummer Ron Lipnicki who had been with the band since 2005.
Slicing and shredding is second nature for Overkill, and Dave Linsk and Derek Tailer make it sound simple as they drive the band forward from the opening bars of the headbanging beast Last Man Standing through the intensity of Out On The Road-Kill and closing thrash monster Hole In My Soul. Overkill generally stick to the motto “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and The Wings Of War is no exception, continuing the rich wave of form which the band has surfed since Ironbound in 2010. Bigger, better and as fast as ever, Overkill really are kings of the thrash scene, untouched by any competitors and still giving it as large in 2019 as they were when that debut release Feel The Fire burst onto the scene 34 years ago. 8/10
Massive: Rebuild Destroy (Off Yer Rocka) [Paul H]
Massive: Rebuild Destroy (Off Yer Rocka) [Paul H]
Raucous, wild and typically Australian, the Aussie trio known as Massive return with album number three. The Melbourne outfit who emerged in 2013 with their debut Full Throttle have had a couple of personnel changes over the years, with the current line-up being Brad Marr, vocals and guitar, Ben Laguda on lead guitar and vocals and drummer Andre Greentree. Unsurprisingly, Rebuild Destroy is a no nonsense balls out heavy rock alum, full of flying riffs, solos and anthemic shouting over eleven three-minute plus tracks. The band has built steadily since Full Throttle, and live are a real force with their straight on rock ‘n’ roll. Tracks such as Generation Riot, The Wrecking Crew and Bullet all scream beer and a good time, which is probably the way that Massive would want you to enjoy their music. It’s not complex progressive rock, but it certainly fits comfortably into the antipodean approach. It’s nothing special, won’t take your breath away but is perfectly enjoyable in a rough and ready kind of way. 6/10
Stonecast: I, Earther (Pitch Black Records) [Matt]
An industrial thump of an intro puts you in mind of an android being created and then the muscular heavy metal assault begins as Captors Of Insanity starts off this third album from Marseille based heavy metal band Stonecast an album that deals with the "tragic, never ending cycle of inevitable destruction is the story of mankind". It's delivered with the gritty speed metal assault of early Blind Guardian a frenzy of super-speed guitars and blasting drum beats, capped by the vocals which sound an awful lot like Hans Kürsch with snarling mids and powerful ear piercing highs that break the stratosphere. It's a furious way to start a record that only slows on the anthemic The Cherokee which has breakdown into a war dance that Anthrax would probably sue for. Stonecast are obviously a band with a pedigree have once had Manowar man Rhino behind the drum kit, they also shared the stage with the Big 4 at Sonisphere France, here their talents are accentuated by producer extraordinaire Roy Z who has worked with Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford plus many more it means that this album bristles with heavy metal glory allowing the serious guitar chops of Bobby Saliba to really show his fret burning talent, with Seb Casula on the rhythms, the bass of Lionel Antonorsi to boom out of the speakers and lets vocalist Franck Ghirardi scream their way into your ear drums as well as make up the choirs to end a cinematic edge. Forevermore is an emotional lead into the sensational Precipice To Hell, an album that is heavy, progressive and full of saber rattling anthems, I, Earther is one of the strongest heavy metal albums of the year! 9/10
Tides Of Sulfur: Paralysis Of Reason (Sludgelord/APF/Astral Noize Records) [Matt]
"Do you know what "nemesis" means? A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent. Personified in this case by an 'orrible cunt... me." the words of Brick Top in Snatch (2000), this begins the second track on the third EP by Cardiff sludge trio Tides Of Sulfur a band I've been following for years, this is an absolute monster 6 minutes of complete and utter devastation as Chris, Anthony and Tom go for the largest artery in the body and rip it to shreds, it's and EP that wants you to bleed out all over the floor once you listen to it. It kicks off with the crust punk fury of Worms, the thundering grooves of Pariah and the creeping darkness of the title track, it's filth from track 1 to track 5, gnarly, headache inducing, aggressive filth that has been fuelled by a hatred of the current state of the world. It's music to make Molotov's by. Rise Up! 8/10
Stonecast: I, Earther (Pitch Black Records) [Matt]
An industrial thump of an intro puts you in mind of an android being created and then the muscular heavy metal assault begins as Captors Of Insanity starts off this third album from Marseille based heavy metal band Stonecast an album that deals with the "tragic, never ending cycle of inevitable destruction is the story of mankind". It's delivered with the gritty speed metal assault of early Blind Guardian a frenzy of super-speed guitars and blasting drum beats, capped by the vocals which sound an awful lot like Hans Kürsch with snarling mids and powerful ear piercing highs that break the stratosphere. It's a furious way to start a record that only slows on the anthemic The Cherokee which has breakdown into a war dance that Anthrax would probably sue for. Stonecast are obviously a band with a pedigree have once had Manowar man Rhino behind the drum kit, they also shared the stage with the Big 4 at Sonisphere France, here their talents are accentuated by producer extraordinaire Roy Z who has worked with Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford plus many more it means that this album bristles with heavy metal glory allowing the serious guitar chops of Bobby Saliba to really show his fret burning talent, with Seb Casula on the rhythms, the bass of Lionel Antonorsi to boom out of the speakers and lets vocalist Franck Ghirardi scream their way into your ear drums as well as make up the choirs to end a cinematic edge. Forevermore is an emotional lead into the sensational Precipice To Hell, an album that is heavy, progressive and full of saber rattling anthems, I, Earther is one of the strongest heavy metal albums of the year! 9/10
Tides Of Sulfur: Paralysis Of Reason (Sludgelord/APF/Astral Noize Records) [Matt]
"Do you know what "nemesis" means? A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent. Personified in this case by an 'orrible cunt... me." the words of Brick Top in Snatch (2000), this begins the second track on the third EP by Cardiff sludge trio Tides Of Sulfur a band I've been following for years, this is an absolute monster 6 minutes of complete and utter devastation as Chris, Anthony and Tom go for the largest artery in the body and rip it to shreds, it's and EP that wants you to bleed out all over the floor once you listen to it. It kicks off with the crust punk fury of Worms, the thundering grooves of Pariah and the creeping darkness of the title track, it's filth from track 1 to track 5, gnarly, headache inducing, aggressive filth that has been fuelled by a hatred of the current state of the world. It's music to make Molotov's by. Rise Up! 8/10
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