HELLISH CROSSFIRE

HELLISH CROSSFIRE's "Bloodrust Scythe" is an album that really could have been released during the thrash explosion of the 1980s. Not only that, but the Germans would have been considered one of the better bands of the era. As it turns out, HELLISH CROSSFIRE should also be considered one of the better bands playing vintage thrash metal in 2010 and "Bloodrust Scythe" is a disc at which any self-respecting fan of the gritty end of the style should take a serious look.

"Bloodrust Scythe" is possessed (literally) of all the qualities that made vintage, jagged-edged German and American thrash so appealing. First and foremost, the songs are written for maximum recall and are 100 percent conducive to manic head banging. The approach borrows liberally from the schools of SODOM, early SLAYER, and, to a degree, POSSESSED, especially with regard to the vocals of Iron Tyrant whose biting style lies somewhere between Jeff Becerra and DEATH's Chuck Schuldiner ("Scream Bloody Gore" period). Tyrant's vocals, the harsh riffing, and the screaming solos drip with evil and unbridled aggression, most notably on the nefarious "Night of the Possessed" and "Into the Old and Evil". Most of the tracks are long (in the five to six minute range) and work well due to the care taken to make every riff a slasher and every arrangement break a neck-snapper. Speaking of breaks, the turn to mid-tempo for the solo section of "Black Injection" is bad to the bone and arrives with a traditional metal bent, while the slow burning groove during "Orgasmic Rush" is shaded with Bronze-era MOTÖRHEAD. Adding even more variety within the constructs of the style, "Too Tough to Die" at times straddles a pre-DickinsonIRON MAIDEN edge, complete with melodic leads.

This is the good stuff, folks. "Bloodrust Scythe" is the dark horse among what is sure to be another avalanche of new/old school thrashers looking to cash in on the current trend. Give HELLISH CROSSFIRE the attention they deserve. You won't be disappointed.