People call it modern thrash. And, naturally, for the first time I listened to it with a lot of criticism, because I was wondering what exactly this definition means. Well, the band is Swedish, formed in 1999. It’s a quartet with one guitarist, and their line-up hasn’t been changed since the beginning. Modern thrash? Background story sounds like typical death-wave. Yes, but they definitely have something in common with thrash. Let’s take the first track “Deathmachine” for instance. It’s built with a basic thrash feeling - the riffs, quality, energetic and moving. A quick look through the songs gives a good impression of them: second track has the traditional bow towards a Black Sabbath-ish tune, mood and intro riff. “The Poltergeist Song” sounds as if could be Slayer. “Holy Swine” is a hymn for an explosion and the spread of it all: blood flows, rage boils… Interesting observation: yet again, the modern lyrics/themes are more private and more self-closed … Closing track “14 years Of Abuse” is mid-tempo, majestic, with unusual for metal deliberately sexy lows of a barely sexy suicidal mantra “And my hands on the trigger…” As for the musicians, here we have the vocals between death and thrash a la Robb Flynn, trying to be poetic.

It works, a little bit annoying though. The greasy, dirty guitar riffage in vein of Pantera or Machine Head, and less like Slayer. Solos are not too accented, but they are somehow in the vein of Dave Mustaine. Verdict is: it’s thrash with some death incorporations. Very professional, creative and … fresh. Yes, we have already heard “Burn My Eyes” and “The More Things Change”. Now like a mad scientist we can open-eyed observe the evolution (or the mutation) of the style, performed by this European (why not?) band. And you know what? I regret I didn’t hear their first release. I’m going to find it.