It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from crossover crushers Paralysis, half a decade to be exact. Yes, it was during the dog days of COVID that Mob Justice made its way onto our radar, scratching that Power Trip-core itch. Mind you, this was back when Riley Gale was still with us, so it was a very, VERY different world. In the years since, Power Trip have resumed, albeit as a live act (for now). This leaves the avenue open for bands like Paralysis to fill that void until (or IF) Power Trip decides to return with new music, which brings us to the latest full length from Paralysis, Spiral of Suffering.
There have been some personnel changes since the Mob Justice days. Drummer Matt Pavlik and guitarist Ron Iglesias are out, the latter having moved on to whatever passes off as Toxik in 2025 (At least there’s one original!). Stepping in are Steven Rago and Tommy Vasta respectively. What hasn’t changed is Paralysis’ approach: 10 songs that blur the line between ripping thrash and streetwise hardcore over the course of a little over 30 minutes, just like Mob Justice before it. In other words, it’s more of the same, but as the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
For those who unfamiliar with Paralysis, upon listening to Spiral of Suffering, it’s easy to dismiss the band as Power Trip lite. Within seconds of the opening “Cruel Design”, we’re bombarded with all the ol’ Power Trip staples: Barked vocals, concrete-thick riffage, a steady balance of breakneck thrashing and tough guy mosh breakdowns. Hell, even the production is Power Trip-esque. As a result, a good chunk of this album, while enjoyable, doesn’t knock my socks off. Cuts like “Fragile Flesh”, “Vacant Reality”, and “Source of Intolerance” are a fine continuation of the Power Trip sound, but they’re exactly that: A continuation.
The best moments of Spiral of Suffering occur when the album steps outside of this framework, even if slightly. At they’re most intense, Paralysis deliver some nasty Slayer-esque brutality on cuts like “Pain Spiral” and “Rush of Energy”, leaving me yearning for more. Other highlights include the painstakingly punishing “Leukotomy”, which comes off as an oddball hybrid of mid ’80s Destruction with NYHC, and “Still Haunts”, the latter easily the most retro sounding on this otherwise ’10s-esque crossover album. With a blatantly old school riff to its name, “Still Haunt” blitzes with the intensity of a lost Leeway banger.
Like every Paralysis album before it, Spiral of Suffering is good and nothing more. There are some great songs scattered about, no doubt, but as a full length affair goes, it doesn’t reach those heights that contemporaries like Enforced or High Command do. Nevertheless, with its brief runtime and nonstop fury, Spiral of Suffering is certainly worth a spin or two for thrashers and hardcore heads alike. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find four other songs that stand out from the pack completely separate from my picks? Variety is the spice of life!
6 out of 10
Label: Independent
Genre: Crossover Thrash
For fans of: Power Trip, Enforced, Leeway