Good thrash metal is hard to come by these days. So many new bands jumped on the bandwagon of ugly ass Reebok high tops, tight pants, little vests with all the coolest patches fresh from ebay and even the poofy hair. Even quite a few of the older bands came back and tried another go at it. Most of the bands in both of these groups failed in my opinion. Then again, there are exceptions like the sets at Maryland Death Fest 2011 by old thrashers like Voivod and Nuclear Assault. They both kicked ass! Not sure about any new material that will be coming out, but both of those live sets RULED! Now Entrench have come to join the thrashing madness. They are from Sweden, but have a sound that is totally German. Think “Terrible Certainty”/”Extreme Aggression” era Kreator mixed with a little “Persecution Mania”/”Agent Orange” era Sodom. It has speed, power, aggression, ripping riffs, shrieking vocals and will make you head bang. The pace gets even a little faster at times, into the old Sadus speed, which is always welcomed! I know those will say “why waste time with a copy cat band when the originals are so much better.” This might be true at times, yet there are some bands that mix in their own stamp on the style so well, they can run with the greats. Entrench seems to be a band that has the potential to do just that. I wouldn’t call this album a “classic” but it is quite an impressive debut and all in all, a KILLER thrash album!
”As Dawn Breaks” starts everything off here, and you will swear that it’s 1987 all over again. It’s a total riff o’ ramma on this banger. Nice and fast at times and also has some killer head banging moments, like in the middle where it slows down a bit with some mid paced bangery, then gets fast again once the guitar solos kick in. “Debt of Sorrow” is 2nd and has some punches at the start that then lead to some double bass mayhem. A break comes and then a ripper of a riff introduces the manic speed of the ripping fast part. Relentless thrash at its best. “Portrait of a Phobia” is a roller coaster ride of thrashing rage that is all over the place and full of awesome riffs. I love the punk riff during one of the fast parts. The speed is more controlled, but is still fucking killer! This is one of the longer songs on here, but it doesn’t get old. “Into Oblivion” starts off with total mid paced banging. Throw in some heavy double bass and the killer mid one/two combination. The slower/fast part that comes with the vocals also rules. It remains pretty mid paced, the faster parts don’t get all that fast. But it is still a crusher of a song. Most of the songs have that “roller coaster” feel to them actually. The pace changes up quite a bit, but it all fits very well together.
“Doubt What’s Left” brings back some fast ripping again. The changes on this album are dynamic and flow so well together. The fast stuff blends well with the mid paced “mosh” stuff. There are multiple tempos all over this album. That is what makes it so enjoyable. Entrench actually remind me of my good pals here from Southern California Witchaven. “Blind Illusion” is next up. The song starts off fast and manic. The riffs tear you to shreds. It then slows down with some prime Sepultura like rolls and open riffs. It then slows down to some mid paced banging. You will find yourself banging your head clean off with this one. This song would be their “video” that all of us maniacs would stay up for back in the day, on the 3rd hour of MTV’s original Head Bangers Ball. The song takes off again with pure thrashing fury. There is an instrumental song “Crossing the River” that is next. This ain’t no pretty, classical inspired piece of artsy music, full of feelings. This thrashes and rages with the best of them. Reminds me a little of the old Metallica instrumentals, just with some more speed at times. Pretty fucking killer! Some effects at the end of the song lead into the album closer “Where Only Ruins Remain”. This banger starts off nice and slow. It still has the same killer and catchy riffs as the other songs though, especially when the fast part kicks in and the shrieks and screams from vocalist Fredrik slash through your ear drums. This song is a long one at over 7 minutes, but it never gets boring and always rages. Great work from these Swedes!
This is totally pounding and ripping thrash metal on display here. The guys can fucking jam, the riffs shred and the fingers are all over the fret boards at times. The drumming of Joel KILLS and he can get fast and attacking, as well as slower and nasty, with the best of them. The production and the sound of this are also old school, but you can hear everything, like those old Harris Johns recordings of the golden era. I HIGHLY recommend this to fans of blazing thrash, or just killer metal in general. Great work by Entrench and Abyss Records on this one!
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