Copyright (c) 2007-2024 THE THRASH METAL GUIDE 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ING (SOUTH AFRICA)
Based on "Ingquisition", these South Africans deliver crunchy modern-ish thrash with cool speedy ("My Way Or The Die Way", the short bomb "Amazing Race") moments. Things only ger better in the second half first with the wild thrash/deathster "Organ Donor", then with the excellent technical piece "God's Mistake" which is one-of-a-kind, but fits the overall hectic picture. The singer is a forceful shouter with some deathy qualities and assists well the other musicians who do a fairly decent job to keep thrash in South Africa alive.
It's a Hate Thing EP, 2008 Official Site INGERMANLAND (NORWAY)
Oddleif Stensland founded this band to keep himself busy while Scariot were having a break. The debut demo shows the style of his later formation Communic fully developed and even better-sounding at times, think a more aggressive and thrashier version of Sanctuary's "Into the Mirror Black" with meaty heavy riffs and a few admirable technical proto-thrash breaks ("Treskiin"). There are shades of Communic, of course, and this early stint is actually a clear influence on Scariot's "Strange to Numbers" although the music here is slower (the pensive introspective ballad "Moon Dance", later offered in a sligtly elongated form on the Communic "Where Echoes Gather" album), but by no means less interesting (the multifarious progressiver "Scientific World", the ambitious labyrinthine saga "Another Dimension"). Stensland provides a wider range of vocals here, from very thin, near-helium-induced ones to brutal death metal growls, to imposing pathos-like singing. The man would have been perfectly set if he had carried on with this project with no need to form other bands. Earlier the band were known as Clairvoya, the style reportedly similar to the one here, reflected in a 2-track demo ("Electric Sun", 1996).
Surface As Ceiling Demo, 1999 INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (ITALY)
This band indulge in decent retro progressive power/speed/thrash that is both on the imposing epic (“Soldiers”) and melodic “eagle fly free” (“Of Hawks and Rats”) side, the not very clean hardcore-ish vocals slightly ruining the impression from the mellower moments, among which one should also put the heroic semi-galloping anthem “Papillon”. Watch out also for “Inglorious”, the closing tractate which contains several admirable energetic developments. The musicians are also involved with the gore/grind cohort Ultimo Mondo Cannibale and the brutal deathsters Sudden Death.
Inglorious Hearts Full-Length, 2023 Official Site INGRAND (COLOMBIA)
Modern thrash of the heavy mid-paced type; this is crushing stuff with angry aggressive vocals and sharp meaty guitars, which are not "strangers" to some good melodies which are a cool touch despite the contrasting picture they create as opposed to the pounding riffage. Those melodies grace almost every song, also supported by the nice, albeit short, leads. "Fe" speeds up well in the middle, moving things around in a sure-handed thrash/crossover fashion, influencing a couple of following tracks one of which, "Sin Palabras", offers more complex technical deviations. The closing "Tienes el Control" follows a similar pattern, but the guitars lose their edge there in the 1st half, descending to balladic passages; the second half offers faster and more appealing music, intense thrash with a touch of the Bay-Area, slightly spoilt by the tender balladic exit.
No Hay Doble RealidadFull-length, 2000 My Space INGRAVED (ITALY)
Based on the Promo, these guys offer four songs of modern thrash/death metal sustained in a brisk energetic tempo with sharp riffs and vicious death metal vocals. There are a few classic leanings to be caught in the guitar department as well as the odd more technical break ("Showtime For My Apocalypse").
From The Eyes Of Pain EP, 2001 My Space INHALATOR (HUNGARY)
Based on the full-length, this act play tricky, semi-technical retro thrash which starts quite promisingly with the diverse "Gehenna/Hanyatlas" which alternates various rhythms at will before the guys setle for less adventurous performance later adding the odd jumpy rhythms on "Paranoia" plus more brutal death metal riffs. Pieces like "Passziv Exitalas" and "Enigma" are major headbangers, but the band are also intent on thrashing with much more brains as well, as evident from the 9-min opus "Testtelen Tanc" which introduces a more complex play among the numerous fast-paced escapades. The closer "Felfestett Toltenyek" is a more direct lasher exiting this album with style, the good music assisted by passable mid-ranged, semi-clean vocals.
Fajdalom Szinhaz EP, 2015 Official Site INHALER (CANADA)
"Motorhead on steroids" would be a very apt description of the band's style plus an added doze of crusty thrashcore which all ofa sudden comes up with the avantgarde early Voivod-esque headbanger "Maximum Dose" (after all, the guys are from Canada). The other "miraculous" occurrence is "Vincent's Fritters" which is a frolic speed/thrasher ala early Metallica. The singer shouts his lungs out at times on the edge of losing his tember completely; intense stuff...
Inhaler Full-Length, 2016 INHARMONIOUS (MEXICO)
A promising demo of retro thrash with a dark, but also semi-technical edge, consisting of four lengthy 5-7min compositions. The band doesn't play too fast, and relies more on atmosphere and mood, adding more speed wherever necessary: "Your Death", the nice progressive opus "Spit The Death", which nicely varies the tempos the whole time. "Before You Were Born" is the most melodic offering here, sticking to the doom/gothic patterns introduced by Cemetary and Paradise Lost.
Echoes of Rage Demo, 2007 Official Site INHUMAN (USA)
Former Last Rite and Havoc Mass members get together for the release of another pretty cool stomping seismic stuff which also gets
nicely intense on occasion ("Live While You Can"). Unlike the music of the two aforementioned acts, though, this one is strictly
modern: the approach sits somewhere between early Skrew and the Voodoocult debut so expect a few industrial tricks along the
way, too. "Why I Hate" is the definitive modern 90's shredder, both stomping and faster, and "Slow-Motion Murder" is the slow
doomy "relief" here. The cutting pounding guitar sound carries on unabated on "These Scars", and the next "To Kill Or Die" can
even pass for a headbanger with its jumpy galloping riffs. "When All Is Lost" is a brilliant 2-min lead-driven balladic
instrumental; great stuff, acquitting the lead guitarist big time since the other material is clearly focused on riffage.
"Taken Away" is another cold-blooded "hammer" leaving the speedy sections for the closing "Never Forget, Never Forgive" which
wraps things up nicely with a portion of fast blitzkrieg rhythms. The singer is a vicious semi-cleaner who mostly semi-recites,
but does it in a forceful authoritative way. 1995 doesn't look so bad, after all, with good albums like this one which also
manage to reflect the vogue of the time so well.
Inhuman Full-length, 1995 My Space INHUMAN CONDITION (USA)
The debut: this is a new project of the bass legend Terry Butler (Obituary, Six Feet Under, Death, Massacre, etc.); he has teamed up with two other former members from the
Massacre team, who are also involved with the black metallers Dritt Skit and the death metal gang Goregang for the creation of an intense old school death/thrash hybrid which also has a pretty
suitable vocal accompaniment on the form of guttural semi-shouty death metal vocals. The guys unleash fierce fast-paced rippers ("Planetary Paroxysm")
and mix them with mellower mid-paced strides ("Killing Pace"), both sides evenly distributed throughout, the brisk expletives on the final
"Fait Accompli" wrapping on a steady consistent offering which is more in favour of the death metal side.
Rat°God Full-length, 2021 Official Site INHUMAN CONDITIONS (GERMANY)
Based on "Change!", this act, previously known as Evil Prophecy, pulls out decent thrash/crossover moshing out with long solid songs sounding way closer to thrash most of the time. The guys don't care too much about speed, and most of the time the music is mid-paced which some may find a pullback since the compositions are not the shortest ones in the world, and this downpour of heavy pounding guitars may wear out at some point. "Nothing To Say" is kind of a "saviour" being a brisk merry, faster piece, but the rest sticks pretty much together as one monolithic, but not really impressive, whole. At around the same time some of the musicians formed another band: Care of Souls, with whom they played more straight-forward retro thrash.
Sanction S.A. EP, 1988 INHUMAN NATURE (UK)
Classic thrash/crossover not far from the early efforts of their compatriots Hellbastard; intense dynamic stuff with hellish deathy vocals which are surprisingly fitting to the intense approach which still tolerates a few more tamed stompers (the power/thrashing
"Satan's Claw", the playful anthem "Lines in the Sand"). Some of the band members were also active with the doom/sludge
monsters Hang the Bastard.
Inhuman Nature Full-length, 2019 Official Site INHUMAN RAGE (GREECE)
This band pull out "inhuman" old school thrash which mixes slow with fast tracks both working well, topped by brutal death metal vocals. "Addicted to Kill" is a more aggressive cut bordering on early Death, and generally there's plenty of energy here, the music also coming with a pretty good sound quality.
Phychological War EP, 2012 Official Site INHUMAN VISIONS (USA)
Based on the full-length, this band play a fairly appetizing thrash/death metal blend with a cool semi-technical "sting" coming close to Death's "Spiritual Healing" on the best moments ("Consumed By Emptiness"). "Lost" is a cool porgressiver with enchanting balladic breaks, and "Betrayal" is a furious death/thrash sweeper ala early Pestilence with pounding bass support. "Crush" "flirts" with more melody and impetuous galloping riffs, and "Broken Promises" is classic headbanging thrash at its best. The vocalist is a semi-shouty deathster with a throaty growl reminiscent of Jan-Chris de Koeijer (Gorefest). Some of the musicians also take part in the death metal cohort Abysmal Dawn.
Inhuman Throughout Myself Full-length, 1996 Official Site INHUMAINE (AUSTRALIA)
Modern death/post-thrash, which awkwardly switches from one style to another, making this EP a slightly uneven affair, since very brutal, almost grinding death metal has never co-existed well with groove. "Deterrant" is a better, more coherent thrasher, and "War Under a Southern Sky" isn't a bad nod to the Swedish death metal scene.
War Under A Southern Sky EP, 2008 My Space INIMIKAL (MEXICO)
This Mexican outfit indulge in first-rate intense technical classic thrash/death metal which alternates between stylish intricate pieces ("Apocalyptic Overture") and fast uncompromising outbursts ("Gates of Doom") the latter side not as strongly emphasized on with the presence of the technical speedy shredder "Anthropomassacre" towards the end, its lofty pretensions matched every bit of the way by the varied progressive masterpiece "Conquer Death" and by the closing "Spiritual Parasite", an utter amorphous delight with angular riffage and abrupt fast-paced skirmishes, the drama enhanced by a portion of brilliant Coroner-esque vortexes mid-way. THe husky shouty death metal vocals can't possibly a match to the great music, but their presence is at least not annoying.
Conquer Death Full-length, 2018 Official Site INITIAL POINT (USA)
This is weird stuff which at its best is intriguing technical modern thrash touching Coroner's "Grin" at times, but there's hardcore, doom, alternative, industrial, groove, and more present here. The compositions are generally long (the closer "Satellite Blasphemy" alone is 9-min of spacey alternative post-thrash doominess) and try to blend several of the aforementioned styles into one composition resulting in an uneven, often confusing, listen. The lead guitar work is pretty good and is the only connecting link between the songs which are often sprawling instrumentals with a sparse participation of the flat shouty semi-death metal vocals which are seldom interrupted by better clean alternative ones in a way similar to Acid Bath.
Gates of Ivory Full-length, 2007 My Space INJECAO PARASITA (BRAZIL)
This band play abrasive modern thrash with harsh shouty death metal vocals and a horrible sound quality. The guys can by all means play, but the sound is a major obstacle for the listener to appreciate these songs which vary from really cool atmospheric mid-pacers ("I LostControl of Myself") to not bad diverse progressive thrashers ("The Peace"). There's a lot of melody put into the recording, and with better production they can make a much bigger impact.
Perfect Crime Full-Length, 2016 INJECTOR (SPAIN)
Based on the full-length debut, these folks specialize in feelgood modern roller-coaster thrash which possesses some progressive pretensions on the longer compositions where intense speedy passages co-exist with calm balladic ones (check out the gigantic
opus "Black Genesis"). The shorter cut aren't without merits, either; "Andromeda's Vibrations" is a nice short technical
instrumental, and "Storming the Heavens" is a cool ripping headbanger. The other attempt at more ambitious progressivism,
the 8.5-min "Where Death Dwells", is more volatile and interesting with a few admirable fast-paced insertions. The singer has a levelled hoarse semi-clean baritone which he doesn't
intrude too much upon the listener leaving the music to do most of the talking.
Harmony of Chaos EP, 2013 Official Site INJURY (ITALY)
Based on the full-length, this band plays decent retro thrash metal of the more carefree, crossover variety. Things get serious towards the middle with more "violent" thrashers like "Violence Unleashed" introduced, but the light-hearted tone is not very often interrupted later on, the sole exception being the longer more complex "Fear Of Nothing" which develops in a stomping mid-tempo manner with capable faster insertions. The vocalist is an expressive semi-shouter with a gruff tember, not carrying a lot of melody.
Injury EP, 2010 Official Site INJUSTICE (USA)
This demo contains three songs which are in the more intense spectre with heavy pounding riffs and forceful proto-death metal vocals. The tempos alternate as the faster side is better covered the guys' skills culminating on the final "Pariah" which is a clever technical shredder with Bay-Area overtones. The sound quality is not the best in the world depriving the guitarists from the necessary expressive cutting edge.
"It's a Sick Thing" is a decent start for the band establishing the future patterns: modern varied pace-wise thrash with well-placed death metal insertions ("Fuck China" (!?)); the intelligent semi-technical brutalizer "Mcveigh's Cocktail") and several more clever decisions ("HLW"; the cool technical shredder "Jewish Nazis"(!?)). The songs are generally short (2-3min) and have a kind of an undeveloped hardcore-ish feel despite the cool riffage behind them and the higher level of musicianship involved. The singer is more guttural and lower-tuned here and maybe not as pleasant.
"Victory" sounds angrier, a statement expressed only too nicely with the brutal death metal opener "Hallowed Be Thy Shame", and although later on the band stick to their modern thrash guns, there's no sophistication detected on the semi-technical aggressor "Covered in Hate" and the admirable staccato death/thrashy headbanger "Psychosis". There's no speed lost on this cool roller-coaster which is again often on the death metal side of things, the guys even trying something hardcore-ish ("Homicidal Dreams") to aggrandize the mayhem.
It's a Sick Thing Full-length, 2009
Ingquisition Full-length, 2012
Victory Full-Length, 2019
The "Beyond Equator" demo could be considered the superior achievement, the dramatic shredding delight "Networked Vibrations" taken straight from Crimson Glory's "Transcendence", with heavier doomier accumulations arriving later to diversify the officiant, also fairly complex palette. More aggressive thrashier developments tale over with "Mindware Lost", this one a stylish wink at mid-period Nevermore, with Stensland a dead ringer for Warrel Dane (R.I.P.). "The First Moment" dissipates the darkness with more uplifting, more melodic rhythms, the leads at the start pure virtuoso tractates, giving way later to stomping squashing arrangements and a couple of breath-taking balladic interludes; a brilliant compendium of these two sides which take turns in a firmly logical manner. "Delusion Of Madness" moves towards more abstract riff-patterns built on a relatively moderate semi-balladic/doomy template, the hard-hitting guitarisms showing up eventually for a rapturous second half with lofty bassisms and dense technical shredding turning this piece into a true highlight on this and any other effort. "Sleeping With Worms" is sustained in a very similar vein, only a tad more brutal with seismic riffage rolling remorselessly onward, but with also a few show-offy sections where Stensland simply slays, showing his dexterity to the fullest, transforming the setting into an eyebrow-raising tech-thrash showdown. No such films on the final 9.5-min odyssey "At Dewy Prime", a steady mid-paced march which flirts with both the doom and the ballad again, with Stensland soaring above the sprawling soundscapes with a spell-binding emotional performance. This is even better than the Communic output, a sheerly inspired multi-faceted progressive metal that alone should have pricked the thick underground layer in multiple places.
Beyond Equator Demo, 2001
Complete Domination EP, 2002
Hatred From Outside Full-length, 2006
Promo Demo, 2008
The "Notes of Apathy (Part I)" EP is three cuts of which "451 (Burning All the Pages)" is an ordinary melo-death/thrasher, and "Cataleptic Kingdom" is a steady mid-paced "sleeper". "L'Amour Toujours" is a surprising cover of the renowned DJ Gigi D'Agostino this popular hit made with a surprising restraint, not very hard to recognize, as a matter of fact, if we exclude the bad death metal vocals, of course.
The "Neglectia" EP is two tracks the title-one an excellent technical shredder with echoes of later-period Death, a dramatic mazer with multiple tempo shitfs; and "Exterra" a tad more linear death/thrash mosher with the Gothenburg school a sure influence, the several blast-beating passages not very appropriately inserted, starkly contrasting with the psychedelic balladic respites.
Almok Temetoje Full-length, 2016
Neglectia EP, 2017
Notes of Apathy (Part I) EP, 2019
"Fearsick" is more thrash-friendly, the guys generating quite a bit of energy at the beginning ("The Mold Testament", the short headbanger "Recycled Hate"),
before "King Con" reminds of the guys' death metal origins with a more overtly brutal veneer. The second half is generally more death-oriented,
the ripping breezer "Fencewalker" another sure raging occurrence, leaving thrash hanging in the balance a bit towards the end.
Fearsick Full-length, 2022
Deserve No Respect Full-length, 1989
Support EP, 1990
Secrets Full-length, 1991
Change! Full-length, 1994
The full-length is a ripping affair the band carrying on with their merciless assault on the senses mixing thrash and death metal on an appetizing, melodic base (check out the leads on "Holodomor"). Exemplary melodic guitar work graces "Chaos Reigns" whereas "Complete Inactivity" is a pure remorseless headbanger. Watch out for the Rigor Mortis-esque speedster "Inhuman Rage", and the hyper-active closer "New Era", a prime shredder with echoes of later-period Death.
Made by His Image... Killing to His Name Full-Length, 2016
Symptoms of the Manipulated EP, 2001
"Stone Prevails" isn't very far style-wise from its predecessor, the guys content enough with their chosen melodic, catchy stance to which the gruff overshouty, semi-deathy vocals
are probably not the most fitting accompaniment. "1994" is a more hard-hitting headbanger, but the rest surprisingly acquires more serious, quasi-progressive tendencies those best
exemplified by intriguing spacey title-track and the melodic stomper "Justice by Fire". "Behind the Curtain" blends the two sides for one thrilling, not very predictable ride and
can be considered the highlight on this aptly-stitched saga which becomes more lyrical and introspective on the closing "Paranoia in My Head".
"Hunt of the Rawhead" doesn't break any new ground although both "March to Kill" and "Unborn Legions" create fever-ish headbanging atmosphere initially, with "Dreadnought Race"
killing everyone in the vicinity with its impetuous headlong riffs. The dissipations arrive in the form of the overlong clumser "Rhythm of War" and the heavy semi-balladic
pageant "Into the Black", before "Arcane Soul" introduces cool more technical riff-patterns, and the excellent all-instrumental etude "Interstellar Minds" fills in the aether
with infectious melodic hooks. The final "Boundbreaker" is another entertaining saga with a wider array of rhythms, a not very intense piece with intriguing melodic arrangements.
Black Genesis Full-length, 2015
Stone Prevails Full-length, 2018
Hunt of the Rawhead Full-length, 2020
"Dominhate" is a nicely energetic effort which rips and tears all over the guys really moshing out on full-throttle creating much more intensity, also trying something more elaborate on the longer cuts Lost Generation , which is graced by a few nice melodic tunes, and "Slaves of Our Fears" which is a heavy stomping shredder with semi-balladic overtones. In the second half the assault continues at times with a more melodic sophisticated edge ("Ride the Riot"), at others with a lot of stripped, bashing passion ("Annihilated by Propaganda"). There is a slight shadow of the Bay-Area ("Fashion Swine") present here and there, and make sure not to miss the excellent lead-driven outro on the closer "It's My Land"; it's really good stuff...
Unleash the Violence Full-length, 2011
Dominhate Full-Length, 2014