by Justin Gaines
– Senior Columnist/News Editor —
Thermonuclear Epiphany is the debut full-length release from Portuguese thrash metal band Perpetrator, a recent discovery of the Stormspell label. The three-piece band is made up of veterans from the Lisbon metal scene, and takes their sound directly from the Bay Area thrash scene of the late ‘80s.
Perpetrator isn’t reinventing the genre here. This is pure, old school thrash metal along the lines of Exodus, Forbidden and Death Angel, and they play it very well. You get blazing, high speed riffing, machine gun drumming, and a raspy, snarling vocal delivery hammering home songs about death, destruction and the end of the world. Thermonuclear Epiphany is a totally old school thrash album, but there is an energy and aggression you usually get from a young band looking to make their mark. You hear is especially clearly on the rage-filled Slayer-esque anthem “Death to All,” which is probably the album’s best track. Album opener “Megaton Therion” and “Purgatory Whorehouse” are also standout tracks.
Say what you will about bands like Bonded by Blood, Fueled by Fire, Municipal Waste and now Perpetrator, who have taken the well-worn path. They pay respect to the legends, and judging by the recent output of the Bay Area originators, they’ve pushed their influences to up their game as well.
Thermonuclear Epiphany is just a rock solid old school thrash metal album that’s sure to get even the most jaded thrash fans’ heads banging. Whether you’re into the new breed of thrash bands like Bonded By Blood, Havok and Fueled by Fire, or the originators like Exodus and Forbidden, Perpetrator is a band that’s well worth discovering.
Genre: Thrash Metal
Lineup:
Rick (v) (b)
Paulao (g)
Marouco (g)
Angelo Sexo (d)
Track Listing:
1. Megaton Therion
2. Pyres in the Night
3. Doomed to Death
4. Nothing Left to Kill
5. Proud Pariahs
6. Purgatory Whorehouse
7. Death to All
8. Shadow of a Man
9. Fire Unleashed
Label: Stormspell Records
Website: www.facebook.com/perpetratorthrash
Hardrock Haven Rating: 8/10
