Cincinnati headbanger Ben Ricketts formally formed Acid Mass around the start of 2023. Hailing from the same state as Midnight, Ohio’s dark soil seems fertile ground for blackened thrash ‘n’ roll. Earlier this year, Acid Mass released the Lust For Violence EP. Now the savage solo project launches a full-length scud attack with Agonizer. Fellow Buckeyes Morbid & Miserable Records present today’s exclusive early stream. They will also release the album’s CD edition on Friday, along with the Lust For Violence songs as bonus tracks. Bonepick Records demonstrate their analogue thrash sexpertise with an Agonizer cassette release also scheduled for September 22nd.
The groan of bass beginning “Infernal Militia” is about the only reprieve the listener receives from ramming-speed thrash. Once the guitars kick in, it’s a rabid riff assault until the title track slams the record’s coffin lid shut. You can get whiplash from the tempo shifts in “Altar.” Later, “Sacrament Of Filth” boasts some of the greasiest guitar leads on the record before “Torture Rack” brings a dose of shreddy sadism. Morbid & Miserable recommends Acid Mass for fans of Toxic Holocaust, Slayer, and Bat for very good reason. Ricketts emulates speed-obsessed ’80s heaviness, and proudly says so.
“Agonizer, and really Acid Mass as a whole, is the culmination of years of worshiping bands like Sodom, Bathory, Bulldozer, Broken Bones, etcetera,” shares Acid Mass founder Ben Ricketts. “It’s my take on those types of bands and styles. It was a rough winter plagued by a devastating loss in my life when writing this record. The result is dirty, raw, “fuck the world” metal with a punk rock spirit and I couldn’t be happier with it. I’m proud of this record and I hope it makes everyone’s brains melt and ears bleed!
Get the war machines thrashin’ and rollin’ by pressing play below.
Pre-order Agonizer on CD from Morbid & Miserable Records HERE
Or grab a sick cassette from Bonepick Records HERE
Follow Acid Mass for news and updates HERE
