BLOOD FEAST
The Future State Of Wicked
Hells Headbangers (2017)
Rating: 8.5/10
|
|
Bring it on! New Jersey thrashers Blood Feast are back, The Future State Of Wicked being the band’s first full-length outing since 1990’s Chopping Block Blues. What a cult act these are, only releasing two full-length albums and one EP and then fading away.
But let’s not dwell on the past or the fact that only one original member remains (guitarist Adam Tranquilli), as this is still a much anticipated assault and one that I hoped would at least come close to the brilliant return of Germany’s Darkness, whose The Gasoline Solution album was probably my favourite release of 2016.
With The Future State Of Wicked, Blood Feast now consists of Tranquilli alongside vocalist Chris Natalini, second axe-man CJ Scioscia, bassist Tom Lorenzo, and drummer Joe Moore, and together they are responsible for one of the finest thrash albums I’m sure this year will offer.
This is deadly shit right from the off, with solos flailing wildly, drums hurtling at great speed, the bass lines cavorting manically and Chris Natalini shrieking his way through ten solid thrash anthems. Beginning with the rasping hostility of ‘INRI’, it’s a fine way to announce your return – a blistering, straight up aural attack with a real hardcore edge. This sounds like it was recorded at the tail end of the 80s; a punchy punked-up speedball, non-reliant on polish but existing on attitude. Natalini seems to naturally fit in, with the band sounding as fresh and hostile as they did upon birth, and thankfully this is no frill ride just to get us on board and then mislead us. Instead we see the quartet sprinting to the finish as if their lives depended on it.
‘Off With Their Heads’ is a thrash anthem for the present – a blazing fury featuring a chanted, rasping chorus and a percussive performance I can only froth at. Of course, a classic band being brought into a new era and featuring mostly new members is always a risk, but I can’t deny Blood Feast and their frantic power on this return.
The guitar solos are just so expertly placed within the mass of chaos, and you can pick any track on offer and you’ll be scorched by the same premise. There’s also a foundation of hammering drums, intense bass and an almost lo-fi guitar sound dredged right from the late 80s.
Sure, I was worried that Chris Natalini wouldn’t fit in or that his style may stain the legacy of this cult band. But have no fear, his throaty yelps are a perfect fit. Just listen to him screech his way through ‘Brethren’ and then making way for those dazzling solos, or jump into the six-minutes of ‘The Underling’ which shows how the band is willing to expand on their bread ‘n’ butter thrash to provide something with extra layers, including a killer melody that leaves me breathless. Believe me, if you’d heard a track like ‘The Underling’ on, say, the latest Overkill or Testament record you’d be salivating your praises.
Blood Feast are a band that not everyone appreciated or heard back in the day, but as each track lays into you feet first, followed by punches, you can’t help but stagger back against the ropes.
Other treats include ‘Last Rites’ with its monolithic opening chugs, and the mesmerising ‘Who Prays For The Devil’, a six minute minor classic which begins with dazzling, psychedelic Black Sabbath-esque drudgery. But for the most part, whatever varying nuances Blood Feast throws in, this is still quintessentially a burning hot thrash metal opus of the highest calibre.
Any true thrash metal fan should jump on board this one. However, expect to get thrown off time and time again because it’s quite a dizzying experience, but one which does nothing but adhere to past triumphs and bring with it its own formidable identity. Excellent stuff.
Neil Arnold
