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 MO RAGE (USA)
A cool effort offering pure 80's American power/thrash during the hostile mid-90's environment; "The Storm" is a heavy stomping opener, but the approach softens later to power metal ala the Metal Church period with Mike Howe hardening with the casual galloping riff ala Attacker ("See Ya!"). The singer has a nice melodic timbre recalling a less operatic Messiah Marcolin (Candlemass) on the higher tones. He later joined the progressive metallers Archetype.
The Fix Of Rage Full-length, 1996 My Space MOB 47
Fast intense thrash/crossover, simplistic and direct, with short 1-2min songs and hoarse shouty punky vocals. The approach is pretty hardcore-ish for at least half
the time as well, with cuts like "Rustning Är Ett Brott" and "Vi Rustar Dom Dör" disturbing the peace with all the confrontational passion they can
muster, with only "Animal Liberation" producing something more sensible with an array of mellower, more controlled rhythms.
Garanterat Mangel Full-Length, 1995 MOB HIT (USA)
Based on the "First Diagnosis" EP, this band play crusty noisy modern thrashcore which is strangely captivating with ist hypnotic up-tempo riffage and the several jumpy passages the latter carrying a certain industrial charge and a not very distant echo of early Biohazard. "Final Day" is pure unbridled classic hardcore and the singer is an attached shouter who fits the picture without sounding annoying.
Dinner for Three EP, 2007 MOBILE DEATHCAMP (USA)
This power trio, which line-up includes T, more known as Todd Evans, among other pseudonyms, in GWAR, plays fast hardcore-ish thrash which doesn't stray away from the intensity of "Reign in Blood" too much packing it into not very long (2-3min) songs which are fast merciless "bullets" with minor exceptions (the heavy pounder "Offensive Release"; the drunken joke track "The Buffalo Song"). The sound moves a bit away from the classic tendencies on some sections, but as a whole this effort could be safely viewed as another addition to the new classic thrash metal movement.
Black Swamp Rising Full-length, 2008 Official Site MOBY DICK (HUNGARY)
The first thrash metal band from Hungary, Moby Dick's debut is a noteworthy start for the scene in this country, with its dynamic speed/thrashing approach which is admirably aggressive on "Talpon Maradni", which comes right after the more optimistic, more speed metal-oriented opener "Ugass Kutya!". Heavy hammering riffs aplenty will one encounter on "Tf6bbet Nem Tehetek", before the crossover happiness "Keresztes Vite9z" makes you pogo into oblivion for about 3-min. More aggressive thrash comes later with the short explosive proto-deathster "c1tnevele9s". More joy, but of the melodic speed/power metal type, comes with the merry-go-round "Metallopolisz"; as well as an odd industial doomy closer: "Re1zd A Rongyot!", which is a bit clumsy and not really on track with the remaining material. The singer provides a cool semi-clean tember with a suitable drunken flavour, a delivery appropriate for several genres.
Ugass Kutya! Full-length, 1990 Official Site MODEL CITIZEN (USA)
Based on the "I Don't Think So" demo, these folks serve competent classic power/thrash which relies on bouncy mid-tempos for most of the time, the clean dramatic high-pitched singer a definite plus, recalling Sebastian Bach (Skid Row). "Sick of You is a short energizing speedster, but the rest is more on the welcoming side, especially the semi-balladic crowd-pleaser "When the Tail Wags the Dog".
I Don't Think So Demo, 1991 MODERN CRIMES (CANADA)
This Canadian outfit mixes jolly thrash/crossover with heavy, power, and doom metal. This cocktail may come as too sotf for the hard-core thrash metal fan although the forceful death metal-ish vocals add a slight aggressive shade, and are better suited to the faster material.
Modern Crimes Full-Length, 2008 MODESTY & PRIDE (CZECH)
Atmospheric modern thrash with orchestral gothic colourings; at times beautiful and dreamy, at others pretty intense. The band play in mid-pace with numerous "ornamentations" along the way: haunting keyboards, bombastic arrangements ala Cradle of Filth, quiet passages, folk motifs (check out the excellent Bifrost-influenced instrumental "Dignity"), etc. The musicianship is on an admirable level, though, the bass player giving his fair share with his omnipresent thundering bottom, and the lead guitarist producing some impressive virtuoso moments. Despite the distractions, this is pretty much thrash the hard-hitting guitars always leading the way. The culmination of the guys' expressive eventful style comes on the ambitious closer "Summoned by Nothing" which is an appealing amalgam of all the previously heard influences wrapped in intense headbanging rhythms.
Endless Road, Pt. 1 Full-Length, 2012 Official Site MODIFIDIOUS (USA)
These guys are the same ones who later found one of the most popular extreme metal acts of modern times: Slipknot. Here the emphasis is not on outrageous shows, but on music, although it will hardly make a few eyebrows raise being strictly modern groovy thrash, not too bad, and quite intense at times, and considering the time of release, they could have been one of the first to practice the style. "Indisposed" is a nice heavy steam-rolling thrasher, and "Into O Shadow" adds more intensity to the proceedings with crushing death-tinged riffs. "Ritual Circle" even speeds up a bit, but in a modern groovy way. One needn't have a very big imagination to find traces of this formation's music into the future Slipknot sound.
Visceral EP, 1993 MOFO (BRAZIL)
Based on the full-length, this act offer speedy blitzkrieg retro thrash which is at times pure unadulterated speed metal ("Brothers of Death"), at others is a more intricate riff-fest ("Time for War") with echoes of Testament and Intruder. The stomping urgency of "Sick and Insane" is a cool digression, but the hyper-active shenanigans of "Final Experiment" tell a different story alongside then pounding officiousness of "Purgatory", the singer acquitting himself in a way no worse than Chuck Billy with an assured coverage of several vocal styles including a quarrelsome death metal-ish timbre.
Empire of Self-Regard EP, 2017 Official Site MOIRE (USA)
Based on the "Public Execution" EP, these guys pull out heavy crushing thrash/death metal of the aggro, groovy type with swirling meaty guitars and sparse blasting sections. A surprising taste for melody is shown ("Red") here and there, but the crushing steam-roller riffage rules with full force all over supported by the gruff low-tuned death metal vocals.
Without Place Full-length, 2004 Official Site MOKOMA (FINLAND)
One of the more popular metal bands on the Finnish metal scene nowadays; their style is a fusion of the old and the modern thrash school with touches of pagan/viking metal, melodic death, and heavy/power on their early efforts. Their debut, at least from a thrash metal point of view, is hardly the finest album around, providing quite melodic power/heavy/thrash metal. "Mokoman 120 pe4ive4e4" hardens the course, but just a bit, and to talk about full-blooded thrash on this one is a bit farfetched, since the majority of the tracks are mid-paced at best, with nods to heavy/power metal, crossover, epic and even punk. The band's real "baptism" in thrash is on "Kurimus" which is a nice mix of the modern and the classic sound with sharp, but also melodic riffs, with the majority of the songs sustained in an energetic headbanging tempo. The softer fillers are very few, and they come with a cool epic shade, for which the capable emotional semi-clean vocals are very suitable. On their later works the guys have hardened the course, moving more towards the modern melo-thrash/death wave, typical for their neighbours, abandoning the classic thrash leanings which here are quite frequent.
Valu Full-length, 1999 Official Site MOLDER (USA)
The debut: this is dark fairly intense old school death/thrash, the crusty vibes on "The Sweet Taste of Death" creating abrasive noisier atmosphere which is aptly supported by the faster-paced title-track. A string of short immediate speedsters carve the middle before "Incipient Disease turns the table towards more brutal death metal, the vociferous shouty vocals also staying said course throughout. The end is preserved for a cool cover of Asphyx's "Serenade In Lead", well conformed with the hyper-active tone of this recording.
Vanished Cadavers Full-length, 2020 Official Site MOLECULAR REPULSION (CANADA)
Aggressive thrash/death hybrid which at times sounds quite brutal and fast, at times acquires cool technical tendencies recalling Disciples of Power's debut, at times has a strong crossover touch, bringing to mind Nuclear Assault. "Ephemera" is a nice both technical and aggressive instrumental which displays the band's more skillful side. Although the guys prefer to stick to the more simplistic and catchy part of their music for most of the album, this is varied and enjoyable stuff.
Veil Of Deception Full-length, 1991 MOLEST (BELGIUM)
Based on the demo, this band play fast aggressive thrash along the lines of Devastation and Sepultura. The guys try to experiment with longer songs, but there aren't any technical leanings here (except on "Think"), and the music starts getting a bit monotonous on the longer tracks. Still, this is a cool headbanging experience.
Looney Tunes from Insania Demo 1991 MOLTEN (USA)
Based on the full-length, this act deliver decent semi-progressive modern thrash which starts with the excellent all-instrumental lead-driven intro "Shadows In Quarantine". Later on complex multifarious sagas ("Virulent") take turns with moody atmospheric slow-burners (the title-track), short spastic bolts of aggression ("Holy Macabre") aggrandizing the drama which reaches a culmination on the final 10.5-min opus "Rising Embers", an interesting albeit overlong epitaph with addictive melodic hooks and haughty balladic overtones. The singer is a shouty deathly semi-rasper, leading the show with both belligerence and panache.
Molten EP, 2019 Official Site MOLTEN CHAINS (AUSTRIA)
This is quite cool dark power/thrash of the retro type led by Brenton Weir, a multi-instrumentalist who acquits himself with some inspired epic song-writing ("Crucifier") on top of more intriguing semi-technical decisions ("In the Castle of Sycorax") and stylish nods to the Sanctuary heritage ("The Fall"). "The Molten Chains" is a stellar doom metal hymn that even Solitude Aeturnus would find hard to match, and "Of Lucifers Eye" is mystical power/thrash at its finest accentuated by Weir's heightened clean croons which are close to reaching the dramatism of Midnight (Crimson Glory) at times. "Reverence Knifed" is a fearsome wayward galloper, with "A Mist in the Night" calming the ball down at the end to more conventional power metal proportions, a somewhat anti-climactic epitaph to this rousing slab of old school metal glory.
In the Antechamber Below Full-length, 2019 Official Site MOMENT OF DETONATION (USA)
Based on "Re-Blank the Canvas", this act whose line-up includes Andreas Lohse, the singer who has graced with his presence quite a few acts through the years (Lost Century, Forces at Work, Thought Sphere, etc.) specialize in modern semi-progressive thrash which suffers a lot from the brutal deathly vocal insertions which ruin the good work done by Lohse. Anyway, the music isn't much to talk about, just modern rhythms played on a metalcore/Swedish death/thrash metal-ish base seldom trying something more interesting like the excellent headbanging arouser "Braille-Maps to Eden", or the less predictable jumpy shredder "Pioneer's Distaste [For the Copyist]".
The Legacy They Left Us With EP, 2012 Official Site MOMENT OF FIERCE DETERMINATION (USA)
In the music department these folks channel early Destruction, whereas vocal-wise we have a guttural semi-shouty death metaller. The music shreds, though, and shades of later-period Dark Angel can also be caught (the more intelligent headbanger "Ritual Massacre". A string of cuts in the second half diminishes the speed until "Here We Are" which is a crushing death metal-ish instrumental. "Seventh Sign" is a more diverse 7.5-min rifforama but it still pales before the excellent speed/thrashing Destruction-esque closer "Light The Fire".
We Rule the Freaks Full-Length, 2012 Official Site MOMENT OF TRUTH (USA)
These folks pull out (based on both demos) energetic thrash/crossover with very shouty hysterical vocals. The delivery is often heavy and squashing ("Till the End"), but rest assured that compensation is amply provided ("Straw Man") and the band never venture into the fields of doom. Still, the majority of the songs are volcanic mid-pacers with samey, one-dimensional riff-patterns.
Blessed Are the Souls Demo, 1992 My Space MONARCH (USA)
The full-length debut: this is the good old school thrash metal served with a pinch of technicality: check out the excellent puzzling technicaller "Memories of War"; but generally the guys show no mercy thrashing like demented ("Bloody Assault", "Dawn to Night") with Slayer and Devastation obvious influences. The tempo is fast with a shade of hardcore at times, and the singer is suitably gruff, of the semi-shouty hardcore variety.
Dawn to Night EP, 2011 Official Site MONARK (FRANCE)
Very cool, albeit roughly-sounding speed/thrash metal ala Not Fragile and early ADX with clean mid-leveled vocals, sing-along choruses and decent guitar work; the tempo is constantly fast, except for the longer "Minautor", which brings forward epic power metal elements, but the hooks and riffs and the excellent leads are not samey and compensate for the one-dimensional delivery of the singer. "Monark" is a very good galloping instrumental, and the closing "Dictateur" is an example of perfectly executed speed metal, which comes as the definitive pattern for the future 90's power/speed metal bands to follow: fast pace, melodic tunes, catchy choruses, edgy guitars, everything is here.
First Diagnosis EP, 2011
"Clear and Present Anger" is sustained in a similar fashion the band thrashing on fast and mercilessly without much ado the speedy riff-patterns dispersed by short chaotic leads. "Emerald" is the "oasis" here serving milder power metal rhythms, but it's ragers like "Warheit" and "Earth Metal" which matter here more and will keep the mosh going all the way to the slightly more technical and not very immediate closer "Vocable Assemblage" which abandons the smashing beginning for the sake of slower more intricate guitars in the second half.
"Summon the Destroyer": the band's blitzkrieg delivery is pretty much intact here and fans of the more direct, immediate nature of our favourite music should enjoy this thoroughly. There's a more pronounced presence of hardcore which also retouches the guitars a bit, but longer speed/thrashers like "Vicious Smile" stop the tendency towards a completely stripped-down sound also thanks to the full-blooded "thrasher" "Thrashsquatch".
Clear and Present Anger Full-Length, 2011
Summon the Destroyer Full-Length, 2016
Some of the musicians have also lid the foundation of other Hungarian acts: the heavy metal heroes Hungarica, and the one-album-wonder Brazzil, who released just one effort in 1995 of slightly modernized heavy/power metal.
"Holnapok Ravatale1n" will hardly be a surprise to the band's fans, an objective reflection of the guys' post-thrash period, featuring soft rehashed riffs with a slight bite, topped by the staple gruff semi-clean vocals. A pleasant surprise would be "Ki Mer A Szemembe Nezni?", a short more classic-sounding thrasher, contrasting with the other material, which in the 2nd half starts carrying a light carefree Motorhead-ish flavour. This is by no means a flop, and not without the apt avoidance of most of the groovy "traps" along the way.
"ldi Pokol" is more energetic than its predecessor and creates a cool semi-headbanging atmosphere in the beginning with a string
of jolly good proto-speed/thrashers. The fast-paced inertia gets lost gradually and although "Alatt" and especially the major
energizer "Poldabeszed" try to restore it at some stage in the second half with more vivid riffage, the guys seem content enough play their staple mild post-thrash.
"Terapia" is the next-in-line, largely feelgood speed/proto-thrash terapia the band shredding with force initially ("Valosag"), but "Program" quickly established the leading program with the bouncy lively rhythms which are still relevant and enjoyable, acquiring a more playful mode on the title-track. "Nem az Vagyok" could be considered the highlight here with its sprightly speed/thrash walkabouts, but make sure you pass by the atmospheric quasi-doomy moodiness of "Alkonyzona", and the optimistic stoner/doom bounces on "Biorobot".
Kegyetlen c9vek Full-length, 1991
Korhinta Full-length, 1992
Fejfa Helyett Full-length, 1994
Memento Full-length, 1994
Indul a Boksz Full-length, 1996
Tisztedtf3tfbz Full-length, 1997
Golgota Full-length, 2003
Se Nap Se Hold Full-length, 2005
Holnapok Ravatale1n Full-length, 2011
Idi Pokol Full-Length, 2014
Terapia Full-Length, 2019
Model Citizen Demo, 1992
"Ordo Ab Chao" would be a big disappointment for the thrash metal fans; this is dark gothic metal with only occasional adherences to thrash. tasteful melodies and plenty of atmosphere are all present here, but there's no edge added to the guitar work the whole album taking the form of one slightly pretentious, and not thoroughly engaging, somber opera.
Ordo Ab Chao Full-Length, 2014
Sprawl Best of/Compilation, 1994
Mud Fuchia EP, 1994
Sick and Insane Full-length, 2020
Public Execution EP, 2006
"Syde4njuuret" is typical modern thrash metal with sparse aggressive death metal passages, both melodic and aggressive the main difference from the pack coming from the characteristic melodic vocals seldom intercepted by much more brutal death metal ones. The music is dynamic, and the fast pieces pack a punch although they get lost in the middle replaced by dull mid-paced power/thrashers with a slightly alternative edge.
"Juurta Jaksain" is a faithful companion to the preceding full-length being mild modern thrash metal this time without any more aggressive "distractions" developing in a predictable mid-pace with balladic overtones and catchy melodic tunes.
"Varjopuoli" is an entirely acoustic album showing the guys' more lyrical aspect; these are actually old songs re-recorded in an acoustic-only version. Expectedly, it's mostly on the balladic side, with a few faster sections with a country feel. It's not completely without merits, but would be of zero interest to thrash metal fans.
"180 Astetta" may catch you with your pants down with the explosive opener "Uusi Aamu" which is intense raging thrash to the bone. This beginning is, of course, misleading since right after the band settle for their predictable soulful post-thrash delivery the "idyll" casually interrupted by the more energetic cut ("Uskalla Ele4e4", and especially the vigorous headbanger "Ajan Hermo"). As a whole the dynamics here is way bigger than on the string of sleepy efforts offered previously, and as such could qualify for one of the guys' more impressive releases not without the support of the good heavy ballad "Virsi N:O 5" and the bombastic operatic death metal-laced extravaganza "Illan Henki" which come near the end.
"Yksi" is modern post-thrash dissipated by laid-back heavy/power metal sweeps with a melancholic elegiac flair with echoes of Katatonia and mid-period Amorphis. Those who manage to fall asleep earlier, though, will have to wake up rudely on the brutal death metal breaks on the final "He Lensivet isin".
"Elvien Kirjoihin" is an uneven mix of calm mid-pacers with no relations to thrash, and more invigorating pieces (the unbridled death-laced "Valtakunnassa Kaikki Hyvin"). The bad news is that the latter aren't very amply provided the album sinking into the sea of rehashed melodic post-thrashy patterns, and in the long run this effort will end where its predecessor have: in the mediocre "gutter"...
"Hengen Pitimet": the excitement around this outing wouldn't be very big having in mind the last few tepid instalments, but the guys enrapture the audience with the vigorous moshing opener "Tienraivaaja", and although later on there's no such energy and verve to be encountered, this opus is at least more convincing than its immediate predecessor. "Lahja" and "Kesyta "erkeleet" enliven the spirit again towards the middle, both hyper-active headbangers the latter coming with a couple of delectable trippy escapades, a pleasant deviation which bodes more similar niceties on future instalments.
"Ihmissokkelo" is surely an improvement after a series of lacklustre, uninspired efforts, and "Ilmoitusluontoista Asiaa" is a rousing opener, a mosher second-to-none whicb doesn't quite instigate a rebellion, but at least it keeps things a bit livelier than before although its impetuosity can't be matched elsewhere, the familiar non-thrash approach from the few past recordings still prominent albeit not as anti-climactic. "Yopuoli" is another speedy highlight, and "Leikin Loppu" is a cool officiant stomper which opposes to the couple of meek balladic/semi-balladic numbers scattered around.
“Myrsky” is a sloucher, the moshing tendencies from its predecessor well accentuated on “Joukkotuhoase”, but from then on the album acquires mellow friendly parametres thanks to crowd-pleasers like “Taivaan Tuuliin” and “Tulisiko Ikävä”, the intimidating thick grooves of “Jos Tulevaisuus on” by all means a sign of rebellion, the hyper-active “Malja Sille!” another rebellious hymn, before “Ulappa” smiles widely at the end with corrosive but meek balladic rhythms.
Mokoman 120 pe4ive4e4 Full-length, 2001
Kurimus Full-length, 2003
Te4me4n Maailman Ruhtinaan Hovi Full-length, 2004
Kuoleman laulukunnaat Full-length, 2006
Luihin ja ytimiin Full-length, 2007
Syde4njuuret Full-length, 2010
Juurta Jaksain EP, 2010
Varjopuoli Full-length, 2011
180 Astetta Full-Length, 2012
Yksi EP, 2013
Elvien Kirjoihin Full-length, 2015
Hengen Pitimet Full-length, 2018
Ihmissokkelo Full-length, 2020
Myrsky Full-length, 2024
"Engrossed in Decay" is a heavier, more steam-rolling behemoth, the band squashing the audience with elephantine seismic riffs ("Glutinous Remains"), the aggressive rushes on "Relentless Pestilence" stirring the blood in a more restless fashion, with death metal taking over on the wild brutal shredder "Chemically Dissolved", and on the more technical walkabout "Disinhumed Carcass Revived". As a whole the guys have become a more extreme unit, with thrash easily side-lined for more than half the time.
Engrossed in Decay Full-length, 2022
"Milkfish" will be a very unpleasant surprise to those who have heard the demo: this is pretty generic groovy thrash which lacks speed or energy except for the punk/hardcore closing joke "What's Up" relying on rehashed repetitive riffs and tempos: not even for the completists.
Milkfish Full-length, 1996
Tep Zepi Full-length, 1997
Dystopian Syndrome Full-length, 2020
"Torment Enshrined" is a true revelation, a masterpiece of complex multi-layered progressive power/thrash, easily one of the five best works of 2020. Weir is helped this time by a drummer (the alias Michi), and the two artists really pull it off with entangled labyrinthine compositions, the spirits of Toxik, Realm, Deathrow, mid-period Fates Warning... Weir hits heights in the vocal department, too, with a constant switch between harsh death metal and excellent clean emotional vocals. "Habitual Sufferance" is also a nice reminder of the quirky histrionics of Cauldron Born, the somewhat unnecessary brutal deathly escapades not that attractive, the latter also gracing "Revenge Unbound", an otherwise mazey hectic thrasher with dramatic epic build-ups. "Weaponised" is a short breezy albeit less ordinary trippy headbanger, and "Pinned in the Lair" is a pulverizing complexer with weird jumpy rhythms and outlandish time-changes. The more aggressive deathly veneer returns for "Blackness and Silence", a spastic spacey wonder with tempo shifts galore, a perennially surprising shape-shifter with nice melodic lead sections. "Citizen" wraps it on with a pleiad of officious doom developments, the doom metal highlight of the past few years with Weir extraordinary behind the mike, a lurking dramatic pathos-inducing presence, supervising his impressive lofty musical histrionics with composed semi-detached vigilance.
"Orisons of Vengeance" is another fairly cool recording every bit of the way, the band doing a good job all the way, opening the lofty proceedings with the short epic speed/thrasher "Hand of God", before moving onward with the multi-faced progressive kaleidoscope "Bedevilled by Sorrow", a generally speedy proposition with ripping sharp riffs and bold winks at the death metal realm on the more aggressive sections. Orchestral blacky atmosphere is also introduced later, before "Black Mantle" enters with a portion of heavy imposing rhythms and more technical, read also fast-paced, configurations, some of those again crossing over the deathly hallows. "Communion" is an academic prog-thrash/death compendium, the guys insisting on those more brutal condiments, "Crimson Equinox" thrashing with bigger moderation aggression-wise, but keeps the intricate arrangements in check, the closing "Martyrdom" elaborating on all of them in an encompassing diverse manner, combining the fast-paced rushes with arresting balladic atmospherics for a rousing 8.5-min closure.
Torment Enshrined Full-length, 2020
Orisons of Vengeance Full-length, 2022
Reset the Parameters EP, 2014
Re-Blank the Canvas Full-length, 2016
Another Reason Why Demo, 1993
"Future Shock" is a straight-forward retro thrash for most of the time, the impetuous rhythms of the opening "Blast The Seed" leading the
hyper-active fiesta which shows pretensions at virtuosity with the Shrapnel-prone "Shred Or Die!", the more complex veneer of the hectic
"Fatal Vector" and the heavier more officiant "Swarm of the Whorenet" pairing well with the more technical riff-patterns of the closing
"Metal Soul".
Go Forth... Slaughter Full-length, 2017
Future Shock Full-length, 2021