Welcome to the first From My Collection of 2026, which unfortunately, also doubles as the first “in memoriam” of 2026. On January 5th, original Razor drummer, Mike “M-Bro” Embro, passed away after a battle with pneumonia. He was integral to the band’s early sound, his rapid fire delivery fueling the aggression of their first four albums, before departing the band in 1987 following the release of Custom Killing. In honor of this unsung thrash hero, we’re revisiting Razor’s iconic “Fast and Loud” debut platter, Executioner’s Song. Brace yourself, because the steel you’re about to feel is beyond lethal! Rest in power M-Bro. This one’s for you.
Razor formed in 1983 in the midst of a burgeoning Canadian metal scene: Something we touched upon when examining Witchkiller and their classic EP, Day of the Saxons. By ’84, they struck while the iron was hot, releasing two demos and their debut EP, Armed and Dangerous, which quickly became an early thrash classic. Being that thrash was in its infancy, and Razor was part of a small handful of Canadian acts scratching that itch alongside the likes of Voivod and Sacrifice, it was only a matter of time before they reached the full length stage. Come April 5th, 1985, they did exactly that, hitting record store shelves with 11 outbursts of ripping speed-thrash insanity in the form of Executioner’s Song.
1985 saw thrash explode globally. From the coasts of America to Germany, Brazil to England and beyond, it seemed any young metal band who were able to get their hands on semi-functioning equipment had a need for speed. So did the ever-growing thrasher legions, decked out in their torn jeans, denim jackets, unkempt hair, and high-top shoes. Amidst a crowded playing field that saw the likes of Exodus’ Bonded by Blood, Overkill’s Feel the Fire, Slayer’s Hell Awaits, and so forth, Executioner’s Song fit right in the pack, putting both Razor and Canada on the thrash metal map.
Many of the songs on Executioner’s Song were originally featured on Razor’s demos and Armed and Dangerous EP, now fully formed and intent on destruction. This was the case for the opening “Take This Torch”. Originally featured on Armed and Dangerous as the opener of side B, it was now rightfully situated as the band’s opening statement for their full length debut, and does a most excellent job establishing Razor’s sound. In many ways, Razor on this album comes off as a more violent, thrash-oriented spin on Canadian speed forefathers, Exciter. The breakneck riffs, crashing drums, and over the top vocals lie somewhere between the primal fury of Exciter’s Heavy Metal Maniac and the mosh pit-inducing thrash of the day.
Expanding upon this speed/post-NWOBHM flavor, a cut like “Fast & Loud” showcases these leanings proudly. Amidst the ferocious thrashers that make up Executioner’s Song, Razor would be sure to throw in an anthemic speedster such as this, tailored less for moshing and more for fist pumping. With its unrelenting love for all things metal and shout-along chorus, this one comes straight from the school of Saxon, Anvil, the aforementioned Exciter, and so forth. It’s not a thrasher musically, but its spirit sure fits right in.
“City of Damnation” picks up the intensity all across the board, the band seamlessly toeing the line between thrash and speed, though this one owes everything to the former and then some. When one thinks of Razor, first wave black metal and death metal seldom comes to mind, though I’d be willing to play devil’s advocate here. The lyricism, riffing, and atmosphere of “City of Damnation” boasts a strong blackened speed aura in the vein of Venom and Show No Mercy era Slayer. It’s most certainly of its era, and one would be hard pressed to brand it an influence on the genre’s second wave, but “City of Damnation” sure feels like a first wave black metal banger if Razor ever had one.
“Escape the Fire” keeps the onslaught going. Guitarist Dave Carlo leads the charge with his unrelenting machine gun riffing and killer hooks. Equally as crucial to the equation, frontman Sheepdog. His vocals can best be described as a gruff bark (no pun intended) that lie somewhere between Lemmy, Cronos, and Tom Araya, especially when he’d throw in those goosebump-inducing shrieks. The breakdown on “Escape the Fire” is particularly nasty, with its slamming mosh riffage. No doubt about it: It’s thrash or be thrashed when this bad boy comes on the stereo!
Side A closes with the blistering “March of Death”, which similar to “Fast & Loud”, boasts strong speed metal leanings. When one strips away Sheepdog’s vocals, it’s easy to mistake this for a lost cut from Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All days. That isn’t to call this cut generic, but again, it’s indicative of the era. This song too dated back a year earlier to ’84, originally appearing on the band’s Escape the Fire demo just 5 months earlier. As the song progresses, the intensity picks up, serving as an appropriate closer for Executioner Song‘s front half.
As we flip over to side B, we’re granted by the unabashed Judas Priest worship of “Distant Thunder”. Whereas many thrash acts of the era weren’t afraid to incorporate flavors of yesteryear into their sound, especially as they were finding their way, it was rare to hear a cut like “Distant Thunder”, which if you didn’t know better, would think came straight out of ’81 or ’82. The swaggering beat and straightforward Tipton/Downing riffs would be right at home on Screaming for Vengeance (1982). Perhaps Razor threw this one on as a palette cleanse for what was to follow.
The blink and you’ll miss it speed of “Hot Metal” is another one to throw in the Exciter/Anvil worship department, much like the similarly anthemic “Fast & Loud”, before “Gatecrasher” takes us on a full speed ahead trip through the speed-thrash underworld. If I’m a thrasher listening to this in 1985, “Gatecrasher” would have me raging in rejoice, especially after two songs that could pass as middle of the road cuts on my dust old Priest albums. At this point in the album, Executioner’s Song is a mixed bag, but it’s this variety, coupled with youthful naivety, that gives the album its charm.
“Deathrace” keeps the speed-thrash blitzkrieg going, guaranteed to have the listener driving well over 100 on the highway while blasting it. By 1985, the trope of metal songs and fast cars had certainly been established (i.e. Deep Purple’s “Highway Star”, Saxon’s “Freeway Mad”, Keel’s “Speed Demon”, etc.) “Deathrace” was a welcome entry into this canon, coupling musical speed with the lyrical need for it, even if half of its listeners didn’t have licenses yet, and the other half were at risk of having theirs revoked (DUI, anyone?).
Come “Time Bomb”, we get a good sense of Carlo as a guitarist, and the methods to his madness. Unlike many axe-men of his era, we get the impression that Carlo prioritizes a catchy riff over pure six-string aggression…at least on this album. Yet again, “Time Bomb” screams leather-clad Priest/Anvil/Exciter mania, owing more to ’83 than ’85. Yes, it’s dated even by ’85 thrash standards (Remember, Possessed DID drop Seven Churches this year), but it’s far from a dud, keeping the listener headbanging and air-guitaring in rejoice.
Closing it all out, the aptly titled “The End”, which is less a song and more an ominous soundscape that sets the stage for the eventual sophomore follow-up. They definitely took a page from the Venom playbook here, as the unholy trinity closed Black Metal with a preview of their 1984 opus, “At War with Satan”. Speaking of Venom, as I revisited Executioner’s Song, I couldn’t help but think: What if this band had done an entire album in the vein of “City of Damnation”? Would we be looking at Razor through different lenses, hailing them as first wave black metal overlords? We’ll never know.
Here’s what we DO know. Executioner’s Song was an overnight smash. Razor quickly became one of the most beloved names in thrash in their native country, and quickly gained notoriety amongst their southern neighbors, the US of A. True to their unrelenting work ethic, the band would release ANOTHER album in 1985, doubling down on their thrashing tendencies with the equally classic Evil Invaders. Over 40 years and countless banger albums later, Razor remains one of the most beloved bands amongst thrashers, speedsters, and heshers of all ages. They play “Hot Metal”, and they play it “Fast & Loud”!