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BLACKLIST
With Murderous Intent

Self-released (2024)
Rating: 7.5/10

Since forming out of Blackpool, England in 2018, thrashers Blacklist have released an EP, Bombs Away, in 2019 and a full-length album, Disciples Of Time, in 2021. A line-up change has been made since their last outing with the addition of guitarist Matt Mcloughlin, who features alongside vocalist / lead guitarist Tyler Larkin, bassist Curtis Goodyear and drummer Matthew Longshaw.

On With Murderous Intent Blacklist embarks on a sneering thrash journey made all the more scathing by the blistering vocal attack. This is frantic stuff and the band launch straight into ‘Cannibal’ with a barrage of speedy drums and hyper riffs, and follow this with the equally frenzied ‘Blood Baptism’. This is a brace of ravenous tunes littered with gang chants and streaks of blackened mayhem alongside melodious passages led by crisp leads.

It’s not a case here of basic 80s thrash rehashing as Blacklist construct tight webs of turmoil. And there are some solid mid-paced moments too, one of these being my favourite track ‘The Shape’ with its sample from the movie Halloween. The bass really rattles on this one and I prefer the more restrained vocal chops to the black metal styled yaps. However, ‘Kill The Coroner’, another more measured slice, reminds me a bit of classic Sabbat in the vocal department and also provides a lot of melody after its subtle build.

Admittedly some of the tracks do appear a tad overlong, but because of the band’s style of snapping thrash it’s not a major issue. ‘Lethal Infection’ provides a nice crunch in the riffage, ‘Nostromo’ gallops hard and ‘Never Sleep Again’ is a mixed bag of subtlety and savagery, so there’s plenty of variety here and the end result is something akin to being hacked and slashed up by movie maniac Michael Myers.

With Murderous Intent is an enjoyable album and evidence that the UK thrash scene is still kicking hard.

Neil Arnold

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