New Jersey Thrash Metal Veterans WHIPLASH Announce New Album 'Roar'

Time To Kill Records has announced the signing of WHIPLASH, welcoming one of American thrash metal's most enduring underground forces to its roster.

Led by true underground warrior Tony Portaro, the New Jersey veterans have spent more than four decades keeping the raw spirit of thrash metal alive, inspiring generations of musicians and fans who still believe in the power of riffs, sweat and genuine passion.

The partnership will see WHIPLASH release their new album, "Roar", on November 27, 2026. Recorded at Studio Mozart and Concrete Island Studio, produced by Tony Portaro and mixed by Jamie King Audio, the album delivers ten explosive tracks that capture the raw energy of the band's live performances while reflecting Portaro's continued evolution as a songwriter and musician.

Songs such as "Sonic Asylum", "Bullet Train" and "Who Stole My Whiskey" hit with full-force precision: this is thrash crafted for the mosh pit, not the algorithm. "Roar" offers exactly what one should expect from WHIPLASH: real metal built around riffs, songs and attitude, with no interest in unnecessary embellishment or whatever fashionable nonsense happens to be circulating outside the pit.

The album was initially made available in a strictly limited form during WHIPLASH's European "Campaign For Musical Destruction Tour" with NAPALM DEATH. A small number of CD promos were distributed independently during the tour under the original title "Thrashquake".

The album now receives its official worldwide release through Time To Kill Records, with a new title, brand-new artwork by legendary illustrator Ed Repka, and a global campaign befitting its status.

Portaro comments: "'Thrashquake' was the original title, and we made a limited number of copies available independently while we were touring earlier this year. As things developed and we started looking at the bigger picture for the worldwide release, 'Roar' just felt like a stronger title and a better representation of the album as a whole.

"Partnering with Time To Kill Records gives us the opportunity to take this record far beyond that initial tour release and give it the international campaign and worldwide distribution it deserves. With the new title, the new Ed Repka artwork and Time To Kill behind the official release, 'Roar' represents the definitive version of this album and the beginning of its real worldwide campaign.”

For Time To Kill Records, bringing WHIPLASH into the fold is a genuine pleasure: few bands embody the idea of uncompromising underground metal quite like Portaro's long-running institution.

"Roar" track listing:

01. Thrashquake
02. Bullet Train
03. Can't Take Back A Bullet
04. Sword Meet Skull
05. Who Stole My Whiskey
06. When The Deadman Calls
07. Red Tape Riot
08. Mother's Kill Club
09. Sonic Asylum
10. Graveyard Of Good And Evil

WHIPLASH's current touring lineup:

Tony Portaro - vocals, guitar
William Winton - bass
Mitch Hull - drums

Formed in Passaic, New Jersey, in 1984, WHIPLASH quickly established themselves as one of the defining forces of the 1980s East Coast thrash metal scene. Led by guitarist and vocalist Tony Portaro, their combination of melodic speed metal, vicious riffs and raw energy produced the cult classic "Power And Pain" (1985),released through Roadrunner's Road Racer imprint.

Followed by "Ticket to Mayhem" (1987) and "Insult to Injury" (1989),the band's early records helped establish a distinctive identity within a New York scene dominated by punk and hardcore. After further releases, lineup changes and a period of inactivity, WHIPLASH returned with "Thrashback" (1998) before a long hiatus.

The band re-emerged with "Unborn Again" in 2009, reconnecting with both old-school devotees and a new generation of thrash fans. Through every incarnation, Tony Portaro has remained the band's constant driving force, preserving the power-trio spirit at the heart of WHIPLASH.

In 2026, that uncompromising approach continues with "Roar", the band's eighth studio album and their new worldwide release through Time To Kill Records.