EXTINCTION A.D.

The perfect soundtrack to a hot, humid and hostile summer, thrash metal still exerts a power that few other genres can match. A brief fallow period in the '90s aside, great bands have rarely been hard to find, and the last decade has been particularly fruitful, with the much praised likes of POWER TRIP, ENFORCED and HIGH COMMAND leading the charge.

Some major credit has to go to EXTINCTION A.D. too. Formed by THIS IS HELL frontman Rick Jimenez and drummer Mike Sciulara, the Long Island quartet have been one of modern thrash's most consistent and distinctive new forces, with three acclaimed albums and several EPs that arguably all deserved far more attention than they received. Since being wisely snapped up by Unique Leader Records, they seem to have clicked into a higher gear.

2022's "Culture of Violence" full-length and this year's "Ruthless Intent" EP were hell-bent on dragging the EXTINCTION A.D. sound forward, while also nudging up aggression levels to match the threat of societal collapse that many of their songs address. As far as conjuring the spirit of politically charged crossover thrash from the '80s is concerned, these boys have it nailed. But "To The Detested" rejects such easy affiliations. While staying true to everything they have released previously, the fourth EXTINCTION A.D. album dares to think outside the thrash box, incorporates a flurry of astute '90s influences into the mix, and slaps it all together with a very modern vigor.

"Desperate Grasp" sets the tone: the riffs have as much MACHINE HEAD and "Chaos A.D."-era SEPULTURA in their veins as they do old-school EXODUS or SLAYER, and the delivery is pure New York hardcore pugilism, replete with scything breakdowns that leave bloodstains on the concrete. There may be no radical ingenuity going on here, but EXTINCTION A.D. have conjured a hybrid that sets them apart from the rest without a single ounce of heaviness being lost. "Escape From New York" is a snotty, hardcore bruiser, peppered with thrash shredding and post-PANTERA groove parts. Unequivocally hard as nails, it sums up the New Yorkers' freewheeling approach and paves the way for "Epidemic Of Mutation": a violent and volatile sprawl of brutality, speed and sudden detours, with sludgy, post-SLIPKNOT undertones.

We are a long way from generic thrash here, and yet every desired old-school mark has been hit, and every stylistic quirk has been masterfully executed. "To The Detested" is obscenely heavy and uncompromising and definitely doesn't give a shit about pleasing the purists. When EXTINCTION A.D. drop the tempo, they become even more singular: "Apocalypse Rising" is magnificently morbid and revels in oppressive sluggishness.

Meanwhile, "Impervious" is a mid-paced monster, with a guest appearance from TRIVIUM's Matthew K. Heafy, "Behind The Veil Of Sanctity" stitches full-throttle speed metal and juggernaut hardcore punk together with malicious intent, and "Burnt Sienna" is an esoteric riot, with "Roots"-style percussion, multiple groove changes and a superbly nimble vocal from Jimenez that deserves a medal for its sheer, throat-threatening intensity alone.

When thrash began, its most creative and dynamic bands became its biggest figureheads. Fast forward to the present day, and EXTINCTION A.D. are flying the thrash flag with more character and imagination than most. This is a heavyweight addition to the modern thrash canon.