I’d say it’s been a banner year for Acid Mass, but it hasn’t even been a full 12 months since we reviewed their debut full length, Agonizer! For those in need of a refresher, by “their” I mean “his”, and by “his” I mean one Mr. Ben Ricketts of Cincinnati, Ohio. In less than a year, Ricketts under the spell of primitive death/thrash has released an album and a 4 song EP (Upon the Knife), the latter of which somehow skipped our release radar. After receiving death threats from Ricketts himself (just kidding), we made sure not to make the same mistake upon the release of his sophomore full length assault, Worship.
Just like its predecessor, Worship is a no-nonsense, old school thrash affair that sounds like it was released in the heart of the underground ’80s metal explosion. It’s straightforward and to the point, once again going full Slayer circa Reign in Blood mode and sandwiching 10 songs into the space of 28 minutes. The end result is an album that’s fast, unrelenting, and devastatingly brutal without overstaying its welcome. That said, while Worship is a continuation of Agonizer‘s spirit, it’s far from a cheap rehash of what made its predecessor so great.
Perhaps the biggest difference between Worship and Agonizer is Worship‘s emphasis on punk influence. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t help but hear a crusty grime on cuts like “Nuclear Exorcism”, “Final Surrender”, and “Hell From Above”, the latter of which features our good pal Matt Sokol of Wraith on guest vocals. Sure, it thrashes and bashes as hard as the other jams on here, but there’s an undeniable aura of anarchy reminiscent of Discharge or The Exploited, yet without feeling forced. Dare I call this crust-thrash? I’m sure the Metal Archives staff are debating this fusion’s legitimacy as we speak.
Purist thrashers, fear not. There’s no shortage of full fledged Slayer worship and first wave death metal mania on Worship to be, well, worshipped as well. “War Machine”, “Stench of Death”, and the title track sound lost in a time warp between Haunting the Chapel (1984) and Hell Awaits (1985), with hints of Possessed and Kreator scattered about. As I discussed in my review of Agonizer, it thrashes, yes, but is far too lethal to be generically labeled “thrash” alone. And yet amidst this death/thrash domination, my favorite cut happens to be the sole blackened thrasher on this album, “Inferno Queen”. Coming off like an unholy hybrid of Venom and Kill ‘Em All era Metallica, this is a must for any headbanger’s first wave black metal mix!
With all due respect to Agonizer, Worshipper is most definitely a step up in terms of memorability and dynamism. It touches upon all unholy realms of the thrash metal universe, from black and death to punk and traditionalism, and everywhere in between. I’d say I look forward to album #3 from Acid Mass, but at the rate Ricketts works, I’m sure said album will be ready for release by the time I’m done typing this review. I guess that would make him the Haunt of thrash, because I’ve for sure lost track of what album number Mr. Trevor William Church is on now.
7 out of 10
Label: Morbid and Miserable Records
Genre: Death/Thrash Metal
For fans of: Slayer, Possessed, Wraith