Copyright (c) 2007-2024 THE THRASH METAL GUIDE 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z YAGAS (ARGENTINA)
A decent mix of modern and classic thrash sounding close to more recent Sepultura on the former inclinations. The album delivers although its classic nature is not very evenly spread over it the modern proto-groovy formulas taking the upper hand at some stage leaving energizers like "Lo Que Vendrá" stranded like isolated cases. The singer is good, though, with his forceful emotional clean timbre and leads the show to the point of being the highlight for most of the time.
Emisarios Del Mal Full-Length, 2012 Official Site YASHA (JAPAN)
Based on the debut, this band play retro power/thrash which develops in a somewhat clumsy repetitive mid-tempo, track 4 coming out with a more intricate veneer, and track 5 finally introducing something livelier and more confrontational. Track 6 finely clings towards the progressive metal camp, aptly backed-up by track 8 which is the only full-blooded thrasher here. The singer is an attached moderately clean throat who raises it higher on the more dramatic moments. Some of the band members were also involved with the heavy metallers Belzebul.
?? (Yasha) Full-length, 1992 Official Site YATRA (USA)
Based on "Born into Chaos", this band play a modern/classic thrash/death hybrid which comes served with a nice militant battle-like approach ala Bolt Thrower on the title-track, but expect also more technical expositions ("Reign of Terror"), tank-like squashers ("Terrorizer"), and brutal blasting violators ("Omens of Fire") to befall you along the way, the mean witch-like vocals doing a good job to scare away the unprepared and the posers. The band were earlier known as Blood Raven when the style was stoner/doom.
Death Ritual Full-length, 2019 Official Site YAZATA (USA)
Hardcore, thrash and death metal shake hands here spiced with the odd doom break ("Miserable Children"). The guitar sound is very abrasive, and the riffs are pretty dissonant at times on the bashing indifferent drum background creating the impression that the guys could be able to pull out something more stylish at a later stage. They have to take care of those bad shouty vocals, though.
Rehearsal/Demo Demo, 2009
My Space YDINTUHO (FINLAND)
Based on the debut demo, this act plays early Celtic Frost mixed with abrasive mid-paced hardcore. This mix, as we all know very well, has a name: crust/thrash, in other words expect heavy mid to up-tempo stuff topped by raw primitive death metal vocals. Some of the guys play more "violent" music with their other project: the death metal formation Violent Hammer.
Demo Demo, 2008 My Space YEAR OF DESOLATION (USA)
Based on the debut, this band plays dry mechanized modern thrash metal mixed with more traditional Gothenburg melodies. The former
are the dominant ones, but apart from heavy repetitive rhythm sections they don't deliver much more. "The Legend of Yellow
Boobie" is a cool attempt at more hectic twisted technicality, but ends up smelling NWOAHM at some point (think Chimaira, Lamd of
God). There isn't much speed to keep this jumpy affair floating, and the listener may get disinterested at some point not very
engaged in this abrasive guitar wall of sound.
Your Blood My Vendetta Full-length, 2004 Official Site YERIHON (RUSSIA)
Decent modern thrash hitting the melodic sector as well on the more complex progressive "Vedma", and generally the delivery is a bit less ordinary with heavy smashing riffs taking turns with more moderate, almost operatic, structures, the latter at times replaced by more direct melo-death/thrash sections ("Gde to Tam...").
Zabuitie Geroi Demo, 2010 YEXOTAY (USA)
Based on "End of Times", this band play sharp mid-paced modern thrash which shifts gears on the raging "Channel of Pain". Groovy bouncy chuggers like "God Says" are clearly on the not very exciting side, but the guys deal with banality with the choppy semi-technical "My House" and the threatening marcher "The Realm" at the end. The vocals are throaty semi-clean, coming served with a not very pronounced quarrelsome shade.
The Dark Window Full-length, 2010 Official Site YESTERDAYS SAINTS (USA)
This is a modern mixture of thrash, power and death metal with the expected for the blend clean/gruff vocal duel. The music is quite dynamic with a frequent insertion of raging blast-beats, and the epic pompousness of "Sands of Nod" sounds kind of misplaced. On the other hand, "Generation of Vipers" is quite a cool speed/thrasher and "The Divine Tragedy" is a nice short, more technical companion to it. Things are finished with style with the epic thrashing opus "Reclusion" which also includes a few more officiant doomy breaks, and generally the guys have managed to come up with the more appealing side of such similar mixtures.
Generation of Vipers Full-length, 2015 Official Site YIDORAH (SPAIN)
Prototypical modern thrash which is both intense and melodic with a pinch of metalcore; the riffs aren't very diverse, but there's
a certain amount of professionalism involved including in the production department which takes a particular care of the guitars
the latter given a crisp biting edge.
El Origen Full-Length, 2010 YIGAEL’S WALL (USA)
A young US band who show dedication to the retro thrash metal movement of the 80's; the guys play energetically with nods to the Bay-Area ("Pyro Virus"), or stomp with heavy riffs in the Brits Cerebral Fix's mould ("Sleeping with the Fishes"). "Requiem for the Living" is a very good more aggressive thrasher in the Evildead, or even Devastation vein, with sharp speedy riffs, introducing a cool slower section ala late 80's Slayer which stretches towards the end, producing a fistful of crushing, headbanging moments. "Wages of Sin" tries to sneak more modern thrash rhythms into the album, but stops right on time before it turns into an unpleasant deviation supported by cool steam-roller guitars. The vocals could be an irritation to some being semi-hardcore-ish with an industrial edge coming as a mix between Gary Meskil (Pro-Pain) and Per Abdrup (Grope).
Requiem for the Living Full-length, 2007 Official Site YOG SOTHOTS (CANADA)
Thrash, speed and hardcore mixed together, topped up by some of the earliest attempts at vicious, death metal-like singing. The music is, of course, quite fast, with short 2-2.5min songs. The frenetic delivery will remind you of the Belgians X-Creta, or the Rigor Mortis debut on the best moments ("Pay or Die", "Innovation").
Demo 1 Demo, 1987 My Space YOM KIPPUR (GERMANY)
Based on the "Scenes of Being" demo, this act play crunchy dreamy mid-paced power/thrash with not very overt progressive overtones,
the versatile structure of "Human Rage" exhibiting quite a few nuances, the heavier more epic veneer of "Alone" clinging more towards the
models from the the side of the Atlantic. "Invisible Walls" is a dark morose doom metal anthem, and "In Tears We Live" combines soulful ballad with dazzling lead pirouettes, the lead guitarist the main star of this minimalistic show, the singer not that impressive, his hoarse semi-clean tirades lacking depth and emotion.
Scenes of Being Demo, 1994 Youtube YONSAMPLE (INDIA)
The EP: an intriguing take on the modern post-thrash trends if we exclude the trite clean vocal insertions; the music is jumpy and
technical not lacking in the more dynamic department, either, and the brooding guitar tone creates a lot of atmosphere. The groove
is well mixed with the faster Swedish leanings the latter bringing a lot of nice melodies with them which contrast with the main
gruff low-tuned death metal vocals.
Paraphernalia EP, 2010 Official Site YORBLIND (FRANCE)
Another representative of the Swedish modern thrash/death metal school; "Reflexions" could be considered the better effort
of the two full-lengths offering a dynamic and a more diverse sound with a web of up-tempo and very fast blasting riffs frequently
intercepted by heavy stomping passages although to these ears the more direct thrash/deathy headbangers work in a better way:
"To Feel Despised", or the slower, bordering on gothic, numbers: "You're Blind".
Yorblind EP, 2003 Official Site YORTSED (FRANCE)
The 1989 demo: an obscure formation who do a fairly good job on their only demo playing inspired technically-inclined speed/thrash with echoes of Toxik's "World Circus" with good high-strung clean vocals which stay in the high parametres for most of the time shouting quite a bit to an imposing dramatic effect, maybe overdoing it a bit here and there touching melodrama. The songs are lengthy with a lot of happenings within them including some furious thrashing. The shorter cuts ("Grey Angel") get lost among the other much more complex material which still holds more than just a few surprises for the headbangers: check out the awesome speed/thrashing symphony "Yortsed", or the fine bonus track "You Must Die" which is first-rate elaborate speed/thrash ala Paradox and late-80's Helstar; it comes with a worse sound quality, but the riffage is topnotch.
Demo Demo, 1989 Youtube YOSH (BELGIUM)
This act rose from the ashes of the thrash metal act Battalion, who released a solitary demo in 1987. Based on "Metaphors I", the style is modern, mid-paced, slightly progressive thrash; might remind you of Risk's "The Reborn" or the early Meshuggah works, but the music is less varied and less technical. Still this is an enjoyable listen with long complex songs, ornate by stylish breaks ("Destiny Eternity") which, despite their non-thrash nature, are a really nice touch. Although the riffs are generally choppy and technical, some straight thrashing numbers are also around ("Perpetual") as well as heavy, almost doomy ones ("God's Apparent"). The guitar work is heavy and mostly mid-paced with a slight abstract edge, but it doesn't lack dynamics: the more speedy technical number "For Fear of Listening" which is a great track with stomping jumpy riffs. The closer "The Messiah" is somewhat underwhelming being balladish, slow, monotonous, livened up by the more thrashy ending. Some of the band members are alive and well through the new millennium, playing in the classic thrash metal formation Native Instinct with whom they have three full-lengths released. Reportedly, this act is also on hold at the moment due to the drug problems that two of the musicians have been experiencing.
1991 Full-length, 1991 YOUDASH (POLAND)
Based on the "Hunting Among The Stars" EP, these Poles indulge in fairly cool technical post-thrash which borders on djent acrobatics at times, but those sections are handled with vision so the songs never turn into show-offy exercises, but keep the proceedings logical with creepy semi-technical rhythms ala Prong's "Beg to Differ" sneaking into the song-structures to even better results. "Force Guide" is a brilliant Coroner-worship (think "Grip") with a few dazzling melodic sweeps bordering on the progressive. The final "Porwany ObIedem" is a "betrayal" from their flashy style being a direct cut, but it's a cover of the Polish metal veterans Kat so those digressions could be excused also giving this effort a strong speedy "injection" plus a surreal touch in the form of fast-played violin tunes accompanying the guitars, a genuine avantgarde decision not present on the original. This is a really talented act who should serve more niceties of the kind in the future.
Na Pohybel EP, 2012 Official Site YOUTH FORGOTTEN (USA)
A young "youthful" outfit who deliver dynamic modern thrashcore crossing Pro-Pain with more impetuous rhythms ala Municipal Waste.
There's a lot of "passion" on tracks like "The Passion" and the crushing "Proposed Exsistence", but the biggest winner here seems
to be the cool diverser "Eyes on the Prize", a reminder of Killswitch Engage and Trivium's heydays. "End Times" should have been
shortened, though: 8-min of progressive balladic doomisms is really hard to endure...
Ghost Of A Fallen Empire Full-Length, 2014 YOUTHCORPSE (USA)
Three guys are responsible for this interesting, intriguing technical/progressive thrash/proto-death metal offering with very harsh
death-ish vocals which are seldom intercepted by much better clean ones; the band doesn't hide their infatuation with early, less
sprawling and nostalgic, Opeth, but the riffs become dry and mechanical at times bearing resemblance to early Meshuggah and
late-80's Metallica as well. The heavy sharp riffs develop predominantly in mid-pace getting wonderfully hectic and jumpy ("Blood
In Vein") at times. More classic, and faster, guitars can be heard on the nice vortex technical shredder "After The Fact" which is
an encyclopaedia of complex busy riffage. That same riffage, only heavier, gets crossed with fine balladic moments on the following
"Through Time". "Mute Witness" is the staple for the band hectic technical number which sets the tone for the next song, before the
fine short ballad "Fallen" calms down putting the clean vocals to the fore. The balladic tendencies do not "stop" here, though, and
"Stop" is another very cool, and longer, ballad. "Enough with the tenderness", some may say, and here comes "Mindscape" to provide
another solid doze of dry technical riffage this time coming close to Voivod. Not for long, though, as "Portal Passage" is a
semi-ballad, and "Blindsided" is a happy power/thrash semi-joke. The most serious part of the album, however, is yet to be
experienced with "Forced Reality": a fine piece of intense jumpy spiral-like technicality, the highlight of the album. "Dead Yet
Not Free" is disappointing again clinging towards the ballad which is apparently a dominant trend with the band, but there's
enough material here for the metal fan to appreciate this work as a well above average slab of proto-modern technical thrash.
Liberty Or Death Full-length, 2002
My Space YOUTHQUAKE (JAPAN)
Ther band's debut "Quake Dope" is a typical product of the 90's, offering a groovy heavy sound, not too far from Pantera or Machine Head, but more playful and light-hearted at times, also recalling Anthrax's "Stomp 642"; but this is only in the first half. The second half goes straight into a classic thrash territory and stays there until the end producing truly impressive headbanging moments: check out the mighty thrash attacks "Rise" and "Tokyo" which come in the middle raising the hopes high that the album may take off into more classic thrash metal grounds. And indeed, the aggression goes on on "Slave Master" which sounds as though directly taken from the Evildead debut. "Original Sin Give A Damn" slows down mixing quite well classic and modern riffs. "Gimme Five" is a very cool intense thrasher with an Anthrax shade, but this time "courting" their best, late-80's period. The aggression reaches almost impossible heights on the furious death metal-laced "Freedom Of Blindness", which might come as too much for the more traditional thrash metal fans, but is a very good track all the way. "Bad Taste" deserves its title, being a not very convincing funky experiment, mixed with more energetic thrashy guitars, and could have been left out since it is far from a worthy closer to this good debut.
?? (Yasha) EP, 2001
??? EP, 2001
? Full-length, 2003
Blood of the Night Full-length, 2020
All Is Lost Full-length, 2020
Born into Chaos Full-length, 2022
Raw Punk Deathstrike Live album, 2009
Threat Of War Demo, 2010
Year Of Desolation Full-length, 2007
End of Times Full-length, 2020
Promo CD Demo, 1998
See Full-length, 1999
"Extropy" is more conventional and more atmospheric with a decreased amount of technical hooks. The approach now is too dreamy and peaceful with an accentuated adherence to groove. At least the clean vocals this time are not that annoying, and their participation should have been more frequent considering the calmer tone of the music which only becomes edgier and more complicated on the closing "Sundered Vicinity".
Extropy Full-Length, 2015
"Blind... but Alive" continues with the "blind" experiments of the band which this time is presented by more officiant
melodic passages with a decreased amount of the speedy escapades. Pointless groovers like "The Exploited" have no direction
whatsoever, and generally the inspiration isn't quite there this album now sounding like any other representative of the
post-Swedish movement where post-thrash, post-death, groove and even gothic come to say "Hello".
Melancholy Souls Full-length, 2005
Reflexions Full-length, 2009
Blind... but Alive Full-Length, 2014
The "Time for Anger" demo is another noteworthy achievement, the band sticking to their complex guns, "Dream of Light" a standout prog-thrasher with echoes of the Bay-Area, and "I Wanna Cry" defining what energetic technical thrash should be all about with spinning riffs and cumulative crescendos. "Introduction!" is smacked in the middle, a superb all-instrumental lead-driven shot which alone certifies this effort's golden status. "Train to Kill" is replete with sharp lashing riffage and unexpected twists, the guys moshing more wildly here, leaving the more controlled expletives for "Undying", but even this number has its more restless side and quirky nature, nicely flowing into the band's favourite composition, the ubiquitous "You Must Die" which is featured one each of their creations.
Demo Demo, 1990
Time for Anger Demo, 1992
The debut is a more immediate offering seeing the band pulling out competent speed/thrash of the more naive "eagle fly free" type. The album is full of catchy galloping tunes, one epic semi-ballad ("Heart Of Stone"), and one full-ahead speed metal hymn: the closing moderately more complex progressiver "Flight Of An Eagle" which sums up all what this effort stands for both music and title-wise. This is an invigorating, albeit rough-around-the-edges, offering which has very little to do with the much heavier, complex approach on the follow-up.
Metaphors I Full-length, 1995
Metaphors Full-length, 1996
Hunting Among The Stars EP, 2013
"Youthquake" is an excellent release as well although it doesn't mark any change of style, and isn't exactly a new beginning (like the self-title may suggest), but is another fine slab of straight headbanging thrash, this time firmly rooted in the 80's sound, boasting quite a few intense thrashing pieces: the aggressive ball of fury "Howling Tusk"; the intense pounding "Crumblin' Down"; the speed metal killer "Zero In". "The Conclusion in Black" is a brilliant heavy ballad with great, more thought-out guitar work which is nowhere to be heard on the rest of the album, and will remind you of the Metallica exploits in the field ("Sanitarium", "One"); one might wish to hear more of this later since this is a really impressive song. Well, no more of the kind, as after it the sound goes back to the more direct conventional formula which is hardly a complaint since some nice variations could be come across: the heavy semi-technical "Despair, Sadness and Fumbling"; the jumpy technical thrasher "Surrounded", which partially betrays the classic sound, but is a very satisfying number. "Heart Breaker" is totally inappropriate being a soft melodic heavy metal track coming straight out of the works of Ratt or Quiet Riot. This is actually the start of the closing part which includes other awkward choices as well: the groovy industrialized "Wrench Off The Chain" and "Crawl", and, maybe, the tender romantic ballad "Swapping Party", which despite the introduction of heavier guitars later on, is far from the greatness of the indomitable "The Conclusion in Black".
"The Evolution of New Oriental Metal" maybe doesn't exactly illustrate the overall evolution of the whole Oriental metal scene, but clearly shows the band's evolution going into a more aggressive and technical direction with obvious shades of death metal. The songs are short aggressive pieces, quite fast and relentless, and some new screechy raspy black-ish vocals have been introduced as opposed to the rough, low-tuned death metal ones. Some tracks are direct takes on Swedish death metal ("Reflections Of Mine"), bashing out no worse than At the Gates on "Slaughter of the Soul". "Subliminal Self" is a nod to the brutal technical style of Morbid Angel, and "Evoke" is a mighty fast-paced technical death metal number with great lead guitar work. The death metal fans will be happier with this one, but the music is simply too good to be ignored by anyone who likes high quality metal.
"Apocalypse" is a not very even blend of hard-hitting headbangers (the short raging opener "Before Too Late") and much more laid-back modern post-thrashisms ("Neither") which symbiosis hasn't been achieved very successfully as the former side is by far the more appetizing one comprising furious pieces like "Grim" and the hardcore-prone "End of Era", among other ragers.
"Beyond the Void of Black" is a more capable modern thrash/death offering which again looks at the Swedish school for inspiration, but the presence of several longer, more thought-out compositions show the band's more individual approach to the trite formula. Again, fast headbanging riffs haven't been spared the latter "bearing" the wild maddening shredder "Warwide" and the death metal "marcher" "From The Underground And Below" which is obviously not an Overkill cover.
"Darkness and Light, Strife and Conflict" is an intense lashing effort, and although the sweeping opener "A Legal Killing" is a bit misleading, the remaining material is by no means a sloucher: "Depression" is a more technical death metal explosion; "Pandemonium" is a nice melodic progressiver; "No Cross, No Crown" is a dramatic stomper; "Unbearable Lightness of Scenery" is a fine later-period Death reminder with great melodic leads; etc. The shadow of the Swedish scene is a bit too strong at times, but this opus has both melody and energy to spare, and these are its main saving graces.
"Youth...Mine and the Truth" is a fairly decent affair the guys mixing things up, adding more technical shredders ("Worship Me") and more conventional groovers ("Psycho") the latter occupying the middle before "Earth the Bomb" arrives and makes the situation more serious with less conventional developments including a great atmospheric balladic interlude which starkly contrasts with the more sterile riff-patterns on the closing headbanger "Take Back Truth".
"Six Feet Under Is Not Deep Enough" follows a similar trajectory to the one of its predecessor; in other words, expect modern melo-death/thrash which becomes marginally more aggressive at times ("Pray"), and also more expressively thrashy on "Memento Mori". "Betrayal" is lightning-fast death/thrash with nice melodic embellishments, and this is where the effort stays till the end save for the interesting quasi-progressive closer "The Winds Of The God" which relies more on more flexible melodic configurations.