Sweden has long been a breeding ground for top tier metal. Though most known for their contributions to traditional metal and death metal, their thrash scene is no joke either. Look no further than acts like Hexenhaus, Midas Touch, Antichrist, and the subject of today’s review, Insane. Formed in 2009, Insane released a series of EPs and demos before unleashing their debut full length, Evil (2017). It was a rather straightforward offering of old school thrash with a blackened edge throughout, yet highly enjoyable. Their latest album, Victims, isn’t as easy to pin down.
Insane’s transition from Evil to Victims reminds me of Slayer’s transition from Show No Mercy to Hell Awaits. Whereas the debut is a carefree heavy metal hootenanny determined on unleashing hellfire upon your eardrums, the follow is a more focused effort with nefarious intentions. Yes, Victims is as pure a thrash record as Evil, but there are many more elements at play. In just a few short years, Insane has grown as musicians and songwriters, balancing the line between the past and present.
The album opens with the appropriately titled “Maximum Force”. A track which lives up to its name, “Maximum Force” is the violent riffage of Razor meets the unrelenting attitude of Power Trip. By the sounds of the Bonded by Blood fashioned “The Sword”, I was under the impression this would be a muscular, orthodox thrash record and nothing more. Then I reached “Cruel Command”. One of my favorite cuts, “Cruel Command” is filled with mosh riffs, though these riffs are more rooted in hardcore punk than metal. A brief flash of traditional metal/hard rock, followed by a frantic thrash section only adds a dose of much welcomed confusion.
Victims grows more intriguing with each track. “Sinister Night” is yet another track that lives up to its name. With its infernal atmosphere and blackened riffs, it’s a song reminiscent of the Evil era. “At Dawn they Die” is a buffet of neck snapping thrash and rock solid breakdowns. Perhaps the highlight of this outing is “Sanitarium”. Ever wondered what Mercyful Fate would sound like if they tried their hand at thrash? Look no further. “Sanitarium” boasts the same eerie riffs and intricate solos that made Denner and Shermann one of the most beloved guitar duos in metal.
It’s this type of unpredictability that keeps reviewers like me on the edge of our seats. How well such unpredictability is done is another story. Considering there aren’t that many current thrash bands out there willing to be so adventurous, Insane has quite a chokehold on this kinda, sorta, not really progressive thrash metal. Add a dash of black, heavy, and punk to the mix and…who am I kidding? Just for once, we’ll leave the descriptors at the door and call Victims what it is: a headbanger’s delight. If Insane keeps progressing at this rate, who knows what damage they’ll be capable of? The future is bloody and brutal for this Swedish horde.
7 out of 10
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Genre: Thrash Metal
For fans of: Razor, Exodus, Slayer