The gloriously old school introduction to Relentless Force‘s opening track – the title track, natch – tells you all you need to know about what’s in store should you decide to explore beyond it’s thrashy charm and promise…

You should do just that, of course, especially if you were around when thrash was taking off and the underground was full of slavering mad things like Vicious Blade. It’s easy to imagine the likes of Lunacy fitting snugly into one of those old Speed Kills compilations, gurgling death metal vocals notwithstanding, and the band certainly pull all the right hitopped shapes over the course of the other seven tracks that make up this lip smacking, neck testing ripper of an album.

Clarissa Baldini (you might remember her from her stint fronting Castrator) leads from the front with a series of paint stripping vocals, ably supported by lead guitarist Jeff Ellsworth who knows a thing or two about wang bar abuse; Ellsworth riffs up a storm too in partnership with Erik Wynn whilst in the engine room things are propelled along nicely by Justin Pelissero (bass) and drummer Kevin Parent who form an insanely tight, high velocity rhythm unit.

The best track here, Forged Steel, mixes the best bits of Baloff-era Exodus and Possessed but mixes them in such a way as to sound remarkably alive, rather than some moribund exercise in nostalgic grave robbing. So, whilst there’s nothing remotely new or ground breaking to be found on Relentless Force, there is an awful lot of weapons grade thrash metal for the discerning listener to enjoy. The band even throw in a bit of a groovy Hellhammer vibe on Nocturnal Slaughter, and if you like any of the names I’ve mentioned in this review then a veritable riot of violence awaits your ears… Get involved!



Relentless Force is out now.