As I write this review, it’s late Thursday afternoon. It’s been a long, tiring work week and I got one more day to go. Yes, for those of you wondering, I do indeed keep a 9 to 5 job. How I’m able to balance this site with that is beyond me, but I digress. At this point of the week, most in the business field would resort to a chemical stimulant to power through the rest of the grind, whether it be coffee, some ungodly energy concoction, or even, dare I say, the Peruvian flake. The brave ones take a little bit of all three, but because any of these on their own would wreak havoc on my cardiovascular system, I settle for the next best thing: brutal thrash.
It’s a terminology I’ve used before, and I’m sure you’ve heard some of your metal nerds friend say it as well. Although “brutal thrash” is not a proper genre or scene per se, I use it to refer to bands like Slayer, Demolition Hammer, Kreator, Sadus, etc., who took the genre as far as it could possibly go in terms of speed and intensity, before it turning into all out death or black metal. It’s a term that can also be used to describe newcomers like Laceration and Sadistic Ritual, who despite having branched out to these extreme outer reaches, are still thrash bands at heart. But if there’s any one modern band who so perfectly embodies the meaning and spirit of brutal thrash, it’s Besieged.
In all truthfulness, Besieged really isn’t THAT new. They formed way back in 2003, and have performed on again/off again ever since. They made waves in the heart of the thrash revival with 2010’s Victims Beyond All Help, and then basically went MIA until now. Their latest album, Violence Beyond All Reason, lives up to its name, unleashing a merciless assault of fast riffs, even faster drumming, and a genuine aggression that has been all too lacking from today’s thrash crop. The only way I can describe scorchers like “Last Chance”, “Paragons of Brutality”, and “Path to Defy” is if Reign in Blood era Slayer and Beneath the Remains era Sepultura had a baby. Excited yet?
When they aren’t towing the line between lethal mosh riffs and skull splitting speed, Besieged manage to get flashy and technical, yet without ever losing their edge. Take for example “One World Coma”. This epic prog thrash journey through the void takes a page right out of prime Coroner’s playbook. It’s dignified thrash metal if there ever was such a thing, but certainly not lame. There are slight tech flourishes on “Descent into Despotism” as well, before “Testaments” closes things out all guns blazing, pushing the speed level to overdrive.
When all is said and done, Violence Beyond All Reasons takes no prisoners and leaves not a moment to breathe, which is what a compelling thrash album should do. I could only imagine the waves an album like this would’ve caused had it been released in my high school days. Who knows? Maybe it’ll inspire the “too cool for school” hipster metal crowd to lace up their old high tops and thrash again. One can only hope!
7 out of 10
Label: Unspeakable Axe Records
Genre: Thrash Metal
For fans of: Sepultura, Slayer, Kreator