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ASSAULT
A Blind Eye

Self-released (2022)
Rating: 7.5/10

I do wish modern thrash acts would come up with more original monikers, but as it stands this is still a snappy and exuberant debut full-length from this young bunch from Cleveland, Ohio. This eight-track platter comes speeding out of the blocks like it’s hungry and keen to show the world what it has to offer.

You won’t find this album to be an original outing, but then again what is nowadays? However, you will succumb to the hostile vocal snaps of guitarist Dylan Andras, and you’ll be shredded by the axe work too as both Andras and Dom Velioniskis really take the bull by the horns here and tear its head off its shoulders and with great melody too.

Opening scorcher ‘Death Solution’ is fast, angry and exhibits the excellent bass playing of David McJunkins and the frenetic percussion of Owen Pooley. Naturally there’s a draw towards, say, Nuclear Assault, but also classic, youthful Metallica and even the Teutonic streaks of Tankard. Although there’s so much bite here that you’ll be swept up by the blistering attitude. Vocally, Dylan Andras is generic but he’s also forceful, chopping from his heart and spewing his lungs up all over this as the combo relentlessly flashes and thrashes through a selection of zipping tunes that race by.

Assault are very much part of the New Wave Of Thrash Metal which has been going for almost 20 years now, but in spite of their formulaic moniker I sense a real hunger and I hope they won’t be swept up in the tide.

The title track does have a more contemporary feel and also touches upon a muscular groove metal style that even hints at Pantera, but it’s mostly pure tuneful yet concise thrash. Other tracks of note are ‘The Second Head Of The Snake’ with its steady, chugging rhythms which are maintained throughout, while ‘Leech’ also relies on a simmering subtlety for its introduction before building nicely with a crisp solo and a Metallica-styled groove before the combo embarks on a catchy chugging.

It’s nice to hear the band slowing down but remaining as vigorous, and that is mainly due to the vocal sneers even though they lack a real identity. However, for some serious razor-sharp advancement then ‘Obliviate’ really shreds with menace where again there’s that machine gun percussion, the thundering bass and that deft axework before we are slaughtered by the pulverising thrash.

There’s nothing overly technical about the sound, but the band has clearly got brains when it comes to weaving all of this sneering thrash together. A Blind Eye is clean cut musically, due to the production, but its message is delivered with enough vitriol and razor sharp aesthetics that by the finish you feel like you’ve been put head first into a blender.

Neil Arnold

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