Making straight up GOOD thrash metal can be hard to do. Fast guitars, shredding riffs, speedy drumming and ripping vocals aren't all you need. It's been done since the early 80's. It needs something... Extra. It either needs to be something out of the ordinary or just be plain well carried out.
Sabretung - A band relatively well known in the metal underground in no small part due to their relentless marketing - is one of the newer thrash bands Australia has to offer for the still growing movement of 80's thrash revivalists. Having released nothing but an EP 5 years ago entitled The Price is Pain, 2011's CONQUEST is the Australian thrash quartet's debut album.
At first listen I wasn't impressed, but with each listen my interest for this album grew. I find the vocals somewhat loud in the mix and while the vocals themselves are generally poor, unvaried and have a tendency to sound overproduced the choruses are where it's at. Most of the 9 tracks feature catchy and memorable choruses of varying character, even sometimes incorporating gang shouts of differing quality.
At first listen I wasn't impressed, but with each listen my interest for this album grew. I find the vocals somewhat loud in the mix and while the vocals themselves are generally poor, unvaried and have a tendency to sound overproduced the choruses are where it's at. Most of the 9 tracks feature catchy and memorable choruses of varying character, even sometimes incorporating gang shouts of differing quality.
Mostly mid-tempoed this album is a fairly standard thrash album made like it's meant to be made. It's just catchy metal like they made in the 80's.
Conquest overall offers classic thrash metal structures with a minuscule modern twist saturated with wholesomely great guitar riffs and drums that sound absolutely incredible. Featuring elements from most of the schools of thrash Sabretung has produced an all in all enjoyable album and a fun listening experience. For a debut album Conquest certainly isn't shabby, and if you're a fan of especially Lich King and Exodus I'd recommend giving Sabretung a listen.
As I said earlier, if you make straight up thrash metal you better make it fucking awesome or it WILL be boring, and while I hugely dislike the vocals Sabretung's Conquest is a load of highly enjoyable although standard thrash. The Australian quartet brings absolutely nothing new to the tabel but utilizes tried out elements in this potent concoction. 7/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Suicide Terror
2. Total Conquest
3. The Thing
4. Army of Dead
5. Chainsaws
6. Barbarian
7. Bloodlust
8. For the Term of his Natural Life
9. Eliminate the Weak
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