Well, this retro-thrash trend is a bit out of control, thousands of kids are donning stretch jeans and puffy white sneakers, and banging their pimpled heads to records made when they were still swimming in their daddy's flesh bags. Most of these kids seem content to just rehash the better riffs from Exodus' Bonded By Blood and build a career from it. The labels are all too happy to oblige in hopes of capitalizing on the success of Municipal Waste. And then there's Evil Army, from Memphis. While their peers cull the cut-out bins for second rate Bay Area thrash, Evil Army draw inspiration from the later, more metallic punk stylings of such bands as The English Dogs, GBH, and Cryptic Slaughter, and the results are ripping. Their debut album hasn't left my player in weeks, it is an agressive work of cro magnon genius that had this old guy thrashing about the room. I have posted a few songs from the album, if you like what you hear, contact the band and buy the cd from them for a measly $10. Support!!!
This album has been a pretty heavy staple of my driving to-from work music the last few weeks as well. If there are going to be so many of these oldschool revival bands going around then at least good, filthy and no-nonsense groups like these cats, Sauron, Rammer, Watchmaker and Villains exist to keep it fresh and not just rehash the bay area sound ad naseum.
ReplyDeleteYou've given me some names to check out. I know Villains, they are great.
ReplyDeleteI love that Villains album, been listening to it consistently ever since I picked it up about a year ago.
ReplyDeleteWatchmaker is definately my favorite of the bunch though. The best elements of old Voivod, Repulsion and Discharge all sort of wound together into a highly chaotic but relentlessly energetic sound. Their split album with fellow Bostonians Hirudinea (also good) has their best stuff I feel. Any of their three albums are worth hearing too. I wish they hadn't broken up because they've been my favorite live band for a few years now.
Check out New York's Battletorn too for something more along the lines of Evil Army. Just a two man guitar/drums thrash machine. Absolutely brilliant.
Aaaarrrghhh! These fuckers ripped my neck to shreds tonight here in New Orleans. I had to buy everything despite my lack of dinner.
ReplyDeleteJace, you lucky dog. I want to see them bad. I was so taken by what I heard on their myspace and the Morbid Massaker compilation that I bought everything too. Nice kids.
ReplyDeleteI've seen Evil Army several times. They always kick ass. I've even played some shows in Rob Evil's basement. Good times.
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R.I.P. Matthew "Bones" Brown. We loved him. The brothers will move on, but Bones will ever be a part of E.A. history, and our lives. We will miss you brother Bones!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea. My condolences to the band, friends and family of Matt. Very sad.
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