I promise I didn’t plan for the first two reviews of 2025 to be blackened thrash releases, so bear with me. After all, it is the first week of the year, and your boy is scouring the farthest reaches of the heavy metal interweb to find any releases he can that might appease the interest of his rabid reader-base. That is, at least, to hold you all over until the latest batch of upcoming interviews and pre-planned writings go live, but I digress. Those who like their metal on the melodic, polished, and traditional side are gonna have to wait another week or so before an album tickles their fancy.
Anyways, I’m sure you’re all familiar with Hellripper by now. If not, where on earth have you been? Leading up to his reign as thee one man blackened speed juggernaut of the ’20s, James McBain established the Hellripper vehicle by hopping onto as many splits as possible. One such 2015 split was released alongside the similarly natured Kriegg of L.A. and Acid Cross of Canada, making it a truly international affair of heavy unholiness. So whatever happened to Kriegg and Acid Cross? While the former has been radio silent since said 2015 split, it’s Acid Cross who pulverizes our eardrums today with their sophomore album, Under Dark.
Unfortunately, it becomes apparent rather quickly on Under Dark why Hellripper ascended to the head of their class while bands like Acid Cross have wallowed in obscurity ever since. To say songs like “Lolth”, “Beast Within”, and “A Wizard’s Revenge” are cut from the same cloth is putting it politely. The riffs, drumming, and arrangements sound near identical throughout, resulting in a release that’s one-dimensional even by black-thrash standards. Adding insult to injury is a choppy production, occasional outbursts of musical discord (the drums being in one place while the guitars are in another), and unconvincing vocals that at times sound more appropriate for a Stooges-esque punk band than a blackened thrash band.
These qualms aside, Under Dark isn’t completely good for nothing. There are moments scattered about in which the band not only gets the blackened thrash memo, but manages to crank out a serious banger or two. An example of this would be the blatant Toxic Holocaust worship of “Crimson Death”, which had me thrashing it up like a teenager again, or “Blind Idiot God”, its sheer force, predictable as it may be, striking at the heart of every maniac with its Slayer meets Destruction attack. The rotten, devilish filth of “Of Old Coffins and Dried Bones” recalls Power from Hell era Onslaught, leaving us longing for more diabolical metalpunk mania in its wake.
Considering we only get an Acid Cross album once every decade (per the trusty Metal Archives), Under Dark is far from the worst thing I’ll hear this month, let alone this year. And on the out chance it is, I ought to consider myself spoiled. I’ll take by the numbers black-thrash everyday over whatever new Jose Mangin-core band our comrades at Metal Injection or any other similarly natured outlets are currently touting. Blink twice if you need help, brothers and sisters!
5 out of 10
Label: Independent
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal
For fans of: Toxic Holocaust, Wraith, Onslaught
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