Embedded Files
VICIOUS BLADE “Relentless Force”
VICIOUS BLADE “Relentless Force”
By Dr. Abner Mality
This blade will strike deep and hard if you’re looking for pure thrash. By gosh and by golly, I’m starting to think the thrash revival is reaching the level of the OSDM rebirth. We’ve had stuff like GRAVERIPPER and WRAITH this year and VICIOUS BLADE is easily on a par with those acts. And it’s REAL thrash, too...not the MIDNIGHT clones that are trying to pass themselves off as such.
The twist with VICIOUS BLADE is that the vocalist is female...Clarissa Badini of Pittsburgh hellions CASTRATOR does the honors. And she does the genre proud with scratchy, hate-fueled wildcat vocals that have just a touch of blackness. That right there gives the band a bit of an edge. Past the vocals, this is thrash in the grand manner, redolent of SLAYER, RAZOR and the German contingent. The title track establishes credentials right away by living up to its name...short and violent! That’s the story for most of the tracks here and there are just enough variances between the songs to make things interesting. For example, “Forged Steel” has elements of American power metal like OMEN and HELSTAR, with markedly more melodic vocals from Clarissa. But it’s still intense! Last track “Death Blow” is the longest and most ambitious, but still a brisk five minutes and change.
There’s no TESTAMENT semi-ballads or more measured “chug thrash” here….it’s all speed based and vitriolic. A nice balanced production keeps this BLADE sharp, too. “Relentless Force” is not an experimental record that takes chances, but delivers a great style of metal in the way it’s intended.
Report abuse