Remarkably it’s four years since Melbourne thrashers Desecrator last darkened our eardrums with a full-length offering; Pleasingly, not much has changed during that period in terms of the band’s sonic sensibilities. That last album, To The Gallows, was a rather fine exposition of the Antipodean way of thrashing like a maniac, a no-holds-barred, no quarter given assault on the senses that more than made up in mayhem what it lacked in finesse. In 2021, the band still know what matters most with this kind of music, even if they have eased off on the madness just a little…

But this is a relative ‘easing off’, of course. High octane thrills and spills still rule the roost; Final track The Devil You Know is perhaps the only track here to match that last record in terms of utter wide-eyed firepower (although Hate At First Sight also comes very close), but to get to that point you’ll have sat through nine songs that prove again and again that Riley Strong and company know just what it takes to come up with world-class, ragged and raw thrash metal. Beg Steal or Borrow and Smoke ‘Em If You Got Em are standout tracks, and both are big-boned and brawny enough to duke it out with the accepted heavyweights of thrash in 2021. This really is weapons grade stuff.

Plaudits must go not just to the band, who all bring their A-games here (with special mention going to the buzzsaw contributions of bassist Gerad Bieboer who rumbles away in frankly Belloesque fashion throughout), but also to mixer Julian Renzo, who gives the band just the platform they need to really shine. The guitars of Strong and Andrew Hudson are absolutely spot on, tone wise, and Jared Roberts‘ huge drum sound gives the band an adamantine bedrock on which to build their tunes of glory.

It’s not often that a traditional, old school thrash metal record from a ‘unknown’ band does anything other than make you wish you were listening to Bonded by Blood or Hell Awaits instead; For the second time in their career, Desecrator will have you not only not doing that, but actively considering taking your old Whiplash albums down to the record and tape exchange instead as you have no need for them anymore. Summoning is what thrash metal should sound like in 2021. And it’s a bloody good sound, let me tell you…

Summoning releases on August 27th.