MEZZROW

Huge credit is due to any band that can pull off a comeback. In 2021, when MEZZROW sprang back to life, they took a major leap of faith. With only one cult classic to their name, 1990's "Then Comes the Killing", the Swedes could not guarantee that there was any real demand for their return, but the album they released in 2023 to announce their resurrection was so good that any doubts about their ongoing relevance swiftly faded. "Summon Thy Demons" was brilliantly conceived and executed: the band's original sound reborn and sonically upgraded was more than a match for the majority of contemporary thrash records. Critical acclaim duly followed. Two years on, "Embrace The Awakening" is a direct continuation of that initial attempt to revive the spirit of 35 years ago. It is hard to believe that MEZZROW were AWOL for all that time, because this is a confident and crushing piece of work that speaks of a profound love for thrash metal in all its bullish, exhilarating glory. There have been a handful of comparable albums released this year, but "Embrace The Awakening" is among the very best of them. As comebacks go, MEZZROW's has been a monstrous success.

It is probably significant that this is considerably heavier and more intense than anything MEZZROW have released before. Rooted in the familiar sounds of Bay Area thrash, but in no way restricted by them, "Embrace The Awakening" seems to suggest that the Swedes have fallen back in love with the whole process of making music. These songs are uniformly punishing, full of razor-edged hooks and thrumming with feral energy. The production is big, ballsy and ruthlessly contemporary but still true to the sound that MEZZROW coined back in the late '80s. Guitarists Magnus Söderman and Ronnie Björnström, both recent recruits, serve up so many killer riffs that their understanding of how thrash works best is plain for all to hear. And as the icing on the cake, frontman Uffe Pettersson delivers a bravura performance that says it all about the Swedes' suitability for the long haul. When your band sounds this good, why the hell wouldn't you keep your foot on the gas?

Most importantly, these are simply the finest songs that MEZZROW have ever committed to tape. Recent singles "Architects Of The Silent War" and "Symphony Of Twisted Souls" paved the way for the full album release, and both are devastating: new, old-school thrash with brains, balls and bite. "Sleeping Cataclysm" is even better and heralds the heightening of the MEZZROW attack, with furious tempos and a darkly melodic refrain that allows some German influence into the mix. Better still, "Foreshadowing" is an absolute beast of a song, loaded with progressive touches and some of the most satisfying chugging of the year so far.

The second half of "Embrace The Awakening" keeps the quality control high. There is a sense of urgency to everything MEZZROW do on this album. Songs like "The Moment To Arise" and "Inside The Burning Twilight" reflect that need to go harder in every department but with flashes of something more melodic and adventurous bubbling away beneath the surface. Much like DEATH ANGEL, whose ten-year hiatus led to an avowedly passionate comeback, this band have thrown themselves into the task of becoming the best possible version of themselves, and "Embrace The Awakening" will inspire the diehard thrashers of today to bang their heads as if the last 40 years didn't happen. File this album alongside recent releases from TESTAMENT and CORONER and enjoy the feeling of thrash metal as an incendiary device aimed at the center of your brain. This is vicious, vintage stuff. The comeback continues.