M.E.T.A.L.
Released in ’84, this was the East Coast of the US’ turn to enter the Thrash arena. The only album to have the original line up, as the next album would see fan favourite Dan Lilker replaced by Frank Bello, and Neil Turbin replaced by Joey Belladonna. All original tunes, apart from a cover of I’m Eighteen by Alice Cooper.
You can hear the enthusiasm and energy coming through the speakers. This was their shot, and they weren’t gonna blow it. It’s a fun listen to hear it now as I haven’t played this in a while. Did Thrash get any better after ’86? I would say not. Deathrider, Metal Thrashing Mad, Soldiers Of Metal, and Howling Furies are genre defining tracks. The Thrax were consistently faster than everyone else at the time, but they always had that riff to drive the songs along. I forgot how much I enjoy this album.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
