WHO ARE THEY? A veteran thrash-metal power trio who hail from Bangalore, India — yes, India — despite the fact that their name is clearly and obviously Greek. Go figure.
WHAT IS THIS? Their fifth headbanging release in 15 years, and an album that clearly isn’t trying to reinvent any musical wheels — which is exactly as it should be.
WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE? An arsenal of metal styles from the late ’70s and early ’80s — from the chugging riffage of Judas Priest to the speed-demon complexity of thrash and the aggression of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal — all fused into one hybrid band fronted by a spewing demon.
WHAT WOULD BE A BETTER TITLE FOR THIS ALBUM? Heavy Meta.
HOW SHOULD I LISTEN TO IT? With an old metalhead who will appreciate it — or a young metalhead who needs their mind blown.
WHAT 10 WORDS DESCRIBE IT? Diabolical, fiendish, intricate, threatening, driving, majestic, subversive, grim, grinding, cathartic.
WHAT ARE THE BEST SONGS? They’re all about equal, really — the bigger stars of the show are the sneeringly unhinged vocals, Satanic lyrics and the endless array of killer guitar riffs.
WHAT WILL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY SAY? ‘Wait … did you say India?’
HOW OFTEN WILL I LISTEN TO THIS? Probably not much — but it’s still a hoot, if only for the demented vocals.
IF THIS ALBUM WERE CLOTHING, WHAT KIND OF CLOTHING WOULD IT BE? A studded leather codpiece with a buzzsaw attached.
SHOULD I BUY, STREAM OR STEAL? If you need a fine hit of old-school thrash, you could do worse.
