Anything trendy, by definition, gets recycled. Clothes, cartoons – heck, even pets. With music, it was no different. Styles such as classic rock, electro-pop and latino all got «updated» for contemporary times. The latest style to get updated was classic 80’s thrash metal.
Not that thrash metal had ever been a «trendy» style. In fact, in the 80’s thrash was the proud representative of what we nowadays call «extreme metal». Loud, brash and heavier than anything ever seen until then, the style got the undeterred support of a legion of counter-culture kids. Sporting torn jeans, rugged jean jackets, black t-shirts and white sneakers (don’t forget white sneakers!), these kids also went for long hair as a form of rebellion and identification with their idols. The idols themselves went for this look, visible on the covers of such albums as Metallica’s «Kill’Em All» and Anthrax’s «Among The Living». The music also reflected these kids’ desire to challenge society, coupling abrasive riffs with fast double-bass rhythms and shouted, yet melodic, vocals.
All these characteristics can be found in Incinerator’s official debut «Thrash Attack». The band go for the all-black, leather-and-spikes look and, on the back-cover photo, strike «demonic» poses befitting of a black or death metal band. When we play the CD, however, what we get is an extremely tasty (and tasteful) dose of true old-school thrash metal. Influenced by bands like Destruction, Kreator or Slayer, the Swedish five-piece present five relentless, edgy tracks sure to please any retro-banger. The guitar work is simple yet incredibly tight, the drumming is fast-paced and the bass is solid without ever being exceedingly complicated. Blade’s vocals provide a perfect balance with the instrumental, alternating a raspy Schmier delivery with some high-pitched Arayesque screaming to create a truly original and personal style. In fact, up until I first heard «Reign In Blood» last year, I used to think Blade was quite unique. As is, it can’t be denied that he does have a very personal voice.
The production job is also fittingly retro, burying everything in the kind of misty musical pit 80’s records are known for. In spite of this, however, all the instruments are clearly audible, including the often-sacrificed bass, which even gets a solo on «Scream Queen».
And speaking of the songs, they’re great. The first of them is «Scream Queen», which develops from some cheesy B-Movie screaming into a fast, relentless thrash assault. The song does not feature a guitar solo, but it does feature a small (and absolutely irresistible) bass solo. The downside? At the end of the song, there are some totally out-of-context electronic effects, which do nothing for the song except make it slightly longer. Still, a nearly flawless retro thrash song (5/5)
Suddenly storming into our speakers comes the aptly-named «Storm Of The Thrasher». Clocking in at just below three minutes, it is the shortest of the five songs on this album, and it’s also the best one. The insanely catchy «thrash attack!!» chorus and the lightning-fast, Kerry King-esque guitar solo are the high points of a song that, if it had been recorded ten years previously, would certainly have become an underground hit (5/5)
«Storm Of The Thrasher» ends as abruptly as it began, and in fades «The Collapse». This is another very aggressive track, although it slows the tempo down somewhat for the chorus. Speaking of which, it is again very catchy and sticks in your head for days. Although not as good as the previous two tracks, this is another very valid addition to the Incinerator roster. (4,5/5)
The fourth track is «Bestial Rage», and this is where the trouble starts. After such a good trio of tracks, this one is painfully average, and frankly quite uninteresting. It has some goods bits, but overall it is the only bad track on the album. (2/5)
Fortunately, «Hypocritical Convictions» proves the previous track was just a bloop. Although not as good as the first three tracks (but then again, what is?!), this track is immensely superior to «Bestial Rage», and in fact quite interesting. Once again, a slower tempo is used to good effect, and this finishes the album off smoothly. (3,5/5)
Nothing has been heard of Incinerator since they released this album. And it’s a pity because the world is missing out on a very good band.
