Copyright (c) 2007 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 YEAR OF DESOLATION (USA)
Good, but generic modern death/thrash metal.
Your Blood My Vendetta Full-length, 2004 Official Site YIGAEL’S WALL (USA)
A young US band who show dedication to the retro thrash 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 YORBLIND (FRANCE)
Another representative of the Swedish modern thrash/death metal school; "Reflexions" could be considered the better effort 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/death headbangers work in a better way: "To Feel Despised", or the slower bordering on gothic numbers: "You're Blind".
Yorblind EP, 2003 Official Site YOSH (BELGIUM)
"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, ornated 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.
1991 Full-length, 1991 YOUTHCORPSE (USA)
Three guys are responsible for this interesting intriguing technical/progressive thrash/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 riffage becomes 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. But the balldic tendencies do not "stop" here, 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 whcih is apparently a dominant trend with the band, but there is 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 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 thrashy, classic 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-laced "Freedom Of Blindness", which might come as too much for the more traditional thrash 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.
Quake Dope Full-length, 1993 Official Site YYRKOON (FRANCE)
This French band started well with their first two albums being cool progressive thrashers with melodic death metal touches of the Gothenburg school, and a strong presence of keyboards, which create an orchestral atmosphere, and might not appeal too much to the more conventional thrash metal fan. There are two vocal styles: one death metal-like, the other one clean. On later works the band's music moved almost entirely towards the death metal field. "Oniric Transition" is the more unfocused one with constant hesitation between thrash, death and gothic, whereas "Dying Sun" is the better achievement with a clear concentration on thrash, displayed also with song-titles like "Thrash'em All", and smashing pieces like "Crystal Light"; the progressive element is there as well, but is expressed through longer song-structures and more technical guitar work, rather than a use of keyboards and other gimmicks.
Oniric Transition Full-length, 1998 Official Site Copyright (c) 2007 THE THRASH METAL GUIDE
Year Of Desolation Full-length, 2007
Melancholy Souls Full-length, 2005
Reflexions Full-length, 2009
Metaphors I Full-length, 1995
Metaphors Full-length, 1996
"Youthquake" is an excellent release as well, although it doesn't mark any change of style, and is not 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 totaly inappropriate, being a soft, melodic heavy metal track, coming straight out of the works of Ratt or Quiet Riot. This is actually the beginning of the closing part, which includes other awkward choices: 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 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 too good to be ignored by anyone who likes high quality metal.
Youth...Mine and the Truth Full-length, 1994
Youthquake Full-length, 1996
Apocalypse Full-length, 2001
The Evolution of New Oriental Metal Full-length, 2003
Forgotten Past EP, 2000
Dying Sun Full-length, 2002