Making great thrash in the present day seems to require bands to nail two somewhat competing principles. One: have a healthy respect for the classic ‘if ain’t broke don’t fix it’ approach, i.e. acknowledge that the first four METALLICA albums plus the 80s output of SLAYER, KREATOR and a few others are all essentially perfect and the goalposts haven’t needed much moving since. But two: find a way to honour that while still making something that feels fresh and urgent and dangerous. Judging by the amount of average to perfectly serviceable thrash that’s out there it’s clearly not easy, but as bands like ENFORCED, PEST CONTROL and today’s focus INHUMAN NATURE have all demonstrated, it is certainly possible. The latter’s sophomore album Greater Than Death is out this Friday via the fantastic Church Road Records. Get on it.
Oh, sorry, word count… let’s elaborate. Greater Than Death follows the London/Hastings outfit’s 2019 self-titled debut LP – plus an EP and a couple of splits and live albums that have helped fill the gap in between – and it is, to put it simply, a classic, ripping thrash record. It’s got riffs on riffs on riffs, breakneck solos all over the place, and grooves so heinous and destructive they should probably be investigated by the Hague (the outro to lead single Possessed To Die being a prime example). Adding a little extra spice are various hardcore and death metal influences, with vocalist Chris Barling especially presiding over the pandemonium with the kind of Schuldiner/Tardy-esque yowl that brings to mind the very early days of the latter genre when it still bore a heavy resemblance to its older brother thrash.
Not to get too bogged down in boring reviewer business but the structure and pacing is great too; a well-timed doomier intro to fifth track Fortress Of Delusion after the record’s blistering opening run, a welcome touch of theatrics in the campy synths and (always rad) gang vocal chants of the band’s own name in Lines In The Sand II, the menacing interlude of penultimate track The Maze Of Eternity that sets up closer Dead And Buried to absolutely obliterate the home straight – all are examples of some truly fine album craft that helps glue Greater Than Death’s invariably killer tracks together and ultimately maintain a solid head of steam for the duration of its well-judged 37-minute runtime.
At the end of the day good thrash is good thrash, and this is some Damn Good Thrash TM. As has been covered already, the requirement of a band of this ilk is not so much to move the goalposts as to grab the listener by the ears and donk their head against them repeatedly. Greater Than Death absolutely nails it and it’s basically between this and the recent DOOMSDAY LP for thrash album of the year so far, so all you pit trolls assemble and get stretching because it’s time to run in a circle. Oh, and check out that artwork – sick.
Rating: 8/10
Greater Than Death is set for release on April 25th via Church Road Records.
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