First up was hardcore legends Nails, a band that seemed like the odd one out on this bill, but that didn’t stop them from bringing the pain with their punishing chugs and breakdowns. Nails didn’t have a great deal of time but they crammed as much hostility and aggression as humanly possible as the Damnation alum thoroughly pasted the audience with hardcore anthems like ‘I Can’t Turn It Off’, the bass-laden stomping of ‘Endless Resistance’ and the closest thing Nails will ever get to a singalong, ‘You Will Never Be One of Us’.

Next up was Bay Area thrash metal royalty, Exodus. Armed with a brand new record and led once again by the ferocious Rob Dukes, they began with the groovy and twisted ‘3111’ and continued an all-out assault on Manchester that never let up and left many with the best kind of metal-related injuries. The set condensed the entire Exodus oeuvre into a short 40-minute set with 80s classics like ‘Bonded by Blood’, ‘A Lesson in Violence’ and ‘Strike of the Beast’, but there were still a wealth of modern bangers.

Exodus with Rob Dukes was a personal experience for me. I’ve been waiting to experience this version of the band for a very long time and hearing ‘Deathamphetamine’ live for the first time was cause for celebration, and I did so by coming out of pit retirement. After an extended drum and bass intro, Gary and Lee flew into one of the fastest riffs they’ve ever written and the room started spinning at uncontrollable speeds as a flurry of bowl-shaped aggression manifested into a sea of flailing bodies clad in denim.

The inclusion of the massive title track of their latest album, Goliath, worked so much better in a live setting with its gigantic booming bass that mirrored the stomping footsteps of a looming titan. The new album may be divisive amongst fans but these new tracks absolutely bring the pain live, and it’s a personal highlight to finally see Exodus with Gary Holt, who has been touring with Slayer on and off for years. A must-see set for thrashers young and old.

Next up was Carcass, the second most influential band to come out of Liverpool. Boasting some of the best guitar work of the night along with arguably the sharpest riffs and Jeff Walker’s smart new haircut, Carcass began the operation with the spidery climbing riff of ‘Unfit for Human Consumption’. It doesn’t take long to figure out who the real surgeons of this bill are as a well-crafted and seamless setlist of gory greats filled the operating room.

The ominous ‘Buried Dreams’, the guitar work of Bill Steer and James Blackford on ‘Death Certificate’, ‘No Love Lost’ and the iconic clicky drum intro of ‘Corporal Jigsore Quandary’ are easily worth the price of admission to this show. To see a group of talented artists sculpt some incredibly noisy guitars and wild flailing drumming into this slab of beautiful flesh is a sight to behold and further proof of just how malleable and versatile this whole genre is.

The big one came at the end of the set: a gigantic harmonised guitar riff and a visceral reaction from the crowd as the glorious riffing of ‘Heartwork’ began. There may not be a more influential song throughout this entire show. If you talk to metal historians and fans alike about melodic death metal then you’ll hear just how important this song is, and to witness it first hand, no matter how many times you’ve seen it, it’s an awe-inspiring experience.

Despite Dan Wilding being absent, Wallteri Väyrynen from Opeth took over with no rehearsal time and just knocked it out of the park. These tracks are all really difficult for drummers and to see him utterly destroy ‘Incarnated Solvent Abuse’ and ‘Exhumed to Consume’ was absolutely incredible. Carcass once again proved they deserved this top spot as main support as they left behind nothing but gore and viscera dripping from the ceiling.

Finally came the mighty Kreator, opening with the massive harmonised guitarwork of ‘Seven Serpents’ and delivering a slew of meaty riffs that promise domination and chaos throughout the building. The set design was absolutely massive, showing off their giant mascot and surrounded by seas of fire. The band performed at the absolute peak of their ability with production to match.

The hordes showed no signs of slowing down as the room continued their five-hour feeding frenzy of heavy metal as Kreator laid waste to the legendary Apollo with their breed of German thrash metal. Breakneck tracks like ‘Enemy of God’, ‘Hordes of Chaos’ and ‘Hate Über Alles’ blended their hectic thrash with an almost power metal guitar style complete with massive harmonised guitar work.

There’s a bit of a change from their last show in Manchester with tracks like ‘People of the Lie’ and ‘Betrayer’, but not enough to make it stand out. Kreator have a tendency to keep it safe with their setlists. You’ll always hear ‘Satan Is Real’, ‘Pleasure to Kill’, ‘Enemy of God’, ‘Phantom Antichrist’ and ‘Violent Revolution’, which is great for fans, but if you’ve seen Kreator before then you’re really just coming for the big production, which is still worth the price of a ticket. It would still be nice to hear Coma of Souls in full instead of just an intro to ‘Enemy of God’, but hopefully they’ll add that back to the setlist some day.

The more modern tracks came with fun little bits including Mille Petrozza donning demon wings during ‘Loyal to the Grave’ and just singing, which was a weird sight considering he’s one of the more prolific guitarist/vocalists. ‘Satan Is Real’ saw more intense pyrotechnics and the brand new tracks from Krushers of the World slotted nicely into the set with their power metal leanings as the crowd roared along to the giant choruses of ‘Satanic Anarchy’.

The classic era of Kreator is one that I’m less familiar with compared to other thrash bands, but legendary bits of ultra-violent thrash like ‘Pleasure to Kill’ have become so thoroughly embedded into the DNA of thrash that it becomes hard to imagine a world without it. Even now, after 40 years, this track holds the same amount of feral and uncontrollable rage as the night draws to a close and the cyclone of violence dies down.

There are so many little details and gimmicks going on: demons setting corpses on fire, pyrotechnics and heads on spikes. You could find something new on stage throughout the entire set if you looked hard enough. Kreator have elevated their show to something truly impressive that mixes spectacle with genuine musical skill, working in tandem with an all-star bill. Kreator are a newly established apex predator in the metal scene after putting in years of work and struggle to get to the top, and they fully intend to stay.

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The record opens with all the lead singles, the almost symphonic ‘Into Oblivion’, the vicious ‘Parasocial Christ’ and the slow, gloopy stomping riffs and John Campbell‘s earth-shattering basslines of ‘Sepsis’, a track that is easily the highlight of the record due to its dodgeball snare and skull crushing breakdown. The record has some variety with tracks like ‘El Vacio’ containing some clean guitar work that adds a nice change of pace. After all, you become numb to the punches if it’s just a nonstop barrage of violence.

The punishing one-two punch of ‘Blunt Force Blues’ and ‘Bully’ showcase a band that is still on top form and fully ready to bring these tracks to life once they hit the stages later this year. The dual guitar assault of Mark Morton and Willie Adler continue to deliver wild tongue twister guitar riffs in the form of ‘St Catherine’s Wheel’. There’s no shortage of brutality throughout the record but this is where the album peaks. Those who were waiting for Lamb of God to bring a bit more thrash influence into their groove metal will be thoroughly impressed throughout this record.

Randy Blythe is still at the top of his game with absolutely monstrous vocals that showcase his raw brilliant aggression while occasionally slipping in just the right amount of melody on tracks like ‘A Thousand Years’. There’s little chance of Randy becoming an outright crooner but that little bit of singing goes a long way in adding variety.

The record ends with one final jaw breaking right hook with ‘Devise/Destroy’ and thus ends another vicious chapter of destructive true heavy metal from one of the best to ever do it. Is it groundbreaking? No. Is it a damn good record? Absolutely. You can feel the band trying to branch out while staying true to their signature sound, which is a hard balance to maintain, but if anyone can do it, Lamb of God can.

Into Oblivion is out now via Century Media.

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Kreator are a band that have been set in their ways and know how to put out consistent, high-quality thrash metal, and this is no exception. You know exactly what you’re going to get, and since it’s so good, why change the formula? The classic, iconic harmonised guitar riffing and borderline melodeath of tracks like ‘Seven Serpents’ feature the more accessible power metal sensibilities of Kreator, which makes for a solid contrast when heavier tracks like ‘Barbarian’ and ‘Psychotic Imperator’ hit.

The record is a bit frontloaded, with some of the latter tracks feeling a bit paint by numbers. But if the biggest criticism of Krushers of the World is that it’s solid but formulaic, then you’ve got a great record. Tracks like ‘Blood of Our Blood’ and ‘Deathscream’ still deliver the sweet, sweet thrash and feature the tasteful yet abrasive guitar work of Mille Petrozza and Sami Yli-Sirniö, but they’re overshadowed by the variety and careful songwriting of tracks like ‘Seven Serpents’ and ‘Tränenpalast’. The title track feels custom-built to be played live, with its pounding mid-tempo riffing and headbanging grooves building up to a violent, screeching chorus that’s guaranteed to get stuck in your head.

Bands like Kreator will always try to advance as songwriters and musicians, but there will always be a small part of them that retains the original fire that forged them. Krushers of the World still features that original fire and intensity but makes the effort to involve the mature songwriting and musicianship of later albums like Gods of Violence and Enemy of God (yes, I know it’s 20 years old, shut up). The closing track, ‘Loyal to the Grave’, is a microcosm of what Kreator has been about for all these years: a grandiose, power metal-esque monument to thrash metal and a surefire hit when they inevitably play it live. It’s for sure going to be a lot less controversial than their last album closer, ‘Dying Planet’, but a safe closer is sometimes the right way forward.

Overall, Kreator have delivered yet another high-quality thrash record that doesn’t quite reach the highs of their undisputed masterpieces like Phantom Antichrist but still features a great deal of aggressive yet comfortable and familiar highs without feeling like it’s retreading old ground. Those who were disappointed with Hate Über Alles can take some comfort in knowing this is a significant step in the right direction that focuses on blinding aggression with a pinch of power metal for flavour. Krushers of the World is sure to be an early thrash favourite in 2026.

Krushers of the World is available January 16th via Nuclear Blast Records.

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Kuazar went first and it’s a landmark tour for them as Kuazar are the first Paraguayan metal band to play in the UK and what an introduction it was. The band opened with ‘Hybrid Power’ which has a distinct Machine Head vibe with its powerful drumming and staccato guitar riffs. There are two albums worth of Kuazar content and having listened to both albums, I can confirm that Kuazar are a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.

Their energy is preposterously high live and their connection to the audience is amazing for such a small venue early on in the night which is helped by an absolutely amazing mix complete with punchy drums, crystal clear solos and a brilliant crunchy guitar tone. Tracks like ‘Silence,’ ‘Truth of Reality’ and the aggressive scream-along chants of ‘Machete’ are impeccable starting points for what promises to be the most violent night in Preston in recent memory.

Next up was Exhorder, a band that is usually brought up in the same conversations as Pantera as an innovator of groove metal. Exhorder opened with ‘My Time,’ a manic track that could have fit perfectly on a modern Exodus record. Frontman Kyle Thomas sounds as energetic and aggressive as ever.

There’s a great deal of variety between the breakneck thrash riffs, Exhorder can bring the groove and slow it all down without any warning giving everyone in the room the best sort of whiplash. Tracks like ‘Unforgiven’ are as impactful as ever with its chugging riffs and you can even hear vocals that sound vaguely similar to Phil Anselmo of Pantera, which is a big reason for the comparisons.

‘Death In Vain’ and ‘Exhorder’ (the song) inspired several short-lived mosh pits, but you can argue that everyone was saving their energy for Vio-lence. Despite being brief, these pits still had a great deal of force in them as Preston got itself ready for an oncoming flurry of violence.

Finally, it was time for Vio-lence and what a violent time it was. Despite the band being almost an entirely new lineup, with the exception of mastermind Sean Killian, Vio-lence fired on all cylinders and delivered a spectacular show made up of vicious riffs, supersonic drumming and good friendly violent fun. The set began with ‘Liquid Courage’ and a crushing chugging riff as the band took to their spots and once Sean Killian said “let’s tear this f*ckin place up”, Blitz was in ruins. The whole band was on perfect form and the legion of fans, young and old alike, began viciously attacking each other as mosh pits dominated a fairly small venue.

This tour saw the band performing their second album, Oppressing the Masses, in full. This record may not have the same widespread appeal as their first album, Eternal Nightmare, but it still brings the pain with aggro fueled classics like ‘I Profit’ and the hellish ‘Mentally Afflicted’. The absolute classic everyone was waiting for from this album was the voracious ‘Officer Nice,’ an unfortunately still relevant track dealing with police brutality and corruption. You can feel the venom oozing through this track as well as Sean seething with rage as the beatdown continues.

Vio-lence isn’t often included in the conversation about the creation of groove metal but they really should be considered one of its greatest innovators. ‘Subterfuge’ is a brilliant example of groove-laden thrash that you can easily fit into the context of where groove metal would eventually come from. ‘Mentally Afflicted’ has this same vibe, the tribal drumming is so easy to dance to before it starts to shift into something much more deranged and aggressive.

While the set was designed around ‘Oppressing The Masses,’ Preston still got to experience the majority of Eternal Nightmare, another landmark album in the history of Bay Area thrash. “For some reason, this song gets everybody crazy” remarked Killian as the band began the twisted riffing of Phobophobia, which is a fear of fear. The whole setlist was a showcase of just how solid a discography Vio-lence actually have and even the inclusion of some of their more recent work is welcome, as they played ‘Upon The Cross’ from their 2022 EP, Let the World Burn.

“My buddy Robb wrote this riff, you know my buddy Robb. He’s in a big ass band making big ass money” said Killian as drummer Adrian Aguilar accompanied this comment with the fill from ‘Davidian’ by Machine Head. Killian is referring of course to Robb Flynn from Machine Head who famously contributed to Vio-lence back in the 80s. The song, entitled ‘World In A World,’ was a brilliant flurry of chaos that ended an incredible night of thrash metal.

At some point in the show he said “This is our first time touring the UK and not a single spot has disappointed” which is a pretty standard bit of on-stage banter but after I bumped into Sean Killian outside of the venue afterwards and he claimed that Vio-lence will be back next year. Hopefully, we’ll be able to impress him once again.

Where do you want to see them play and will you be ready?

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Tailgunner took to the stage first with their brand of speed metal-tinged NWOBHM, ripped straight from 1981 and given a modern interpretation. The best way to describe their sound is if you were to take a group of dedicated heavy metal nerds with an obsessive dedication to recreating that mid-80s sound as accurately as humanly possible and executing it with as much polish and nuance as possible. 

Tailgunner is absolutely nothing original by design, it’s a pastiche act mixing elements from Accept, Scorpions, Motorhead, Judas Priest and so many more. This may sound like a detriment but their dedication to authenticity makes them a prime candidate for the new favourite band of every battle jacket-wearing, Slayer-screaming, hell bent for leather metalheads that just refuse to let the 80s die like they really should have on January 1st 1990.

Ultra high falsettos, duelling guitar harmonies, guitar choreography and pounding double bass are omnipresent through their set as they rip through their first album, Guns for Hire. If any of this sounds appealing, you can catch them on their UK tour this October/November and check out one of the best examples of high camp modern 80s metal around. “We are here to put British heavy metal back on the map” says vocalist Craig Cairns and if this show is a sign of things to come, then British heavy metal is sure to make a massive comeback. 

Armored Saint finally took to the stage, the majority of them dressed like Slash and drummer Gonzo Sandoval rocking Slash’s signature top hat before barrelling into the breakneck crushing intensity of ‘End of the Attention Span’. From the get go, you can feel the band still have a great deal of love for the music they make as their chemistry on stage burns brighter than most other bands of their age. 

The only thing sharper than guitarist Phil Sandoval’s dress sense are his guitar solos. Held up by an incredibly tight rhythm section, he’s left to fly up and down the fretboard assisted by his fellow guitarist, Jeff Duncan. The two of them have never gotten the right amount of recognition as shredders but they can both hold their own in the solo and riff department, just look at tracks like ‘Win Hands Down’ or ‘Right Hook From Left Field’. 

Armored Saint are also able to stretch their prog muscles on ‘Standing on the Shoulders of Giants’ which feels like if Metallica tried to write a Rush song but actually had the musical chops to pull it off. Spanning almost seven minutes and featuring non-stop pounding drumming, it’s a testament to their endurance and songwriting ability that a track like this is even possible to replicate live. 

‘Tribal Dance’ (not to be confused with The War Dance) is a proto-groove metal anthem that could very well been a Pantera track in an alternate universe. The groove is untouchable, the riff is infectious and the sound mix is absolutely crushing. Truly an underrated heavy metal banger from an era where heavy metal bangers were omnipresent. The whole set is littered with tracks that raise the question “why the hell wasn’t this bigger?”. 

John Bush has been unfairly written off by many as “the other guy in Anthrax” by the ill-informed and people who refuse to acknowledge anything but the Joey Belladonna Anthrax. John Bush not only has an impressive range that packs a massive punch, he also has the stage presence to back that up and even outside of that, he looks like he’s having the time of his life and that’s the easiest way to win over a crowd. The guitarists even managed to distract the audience long enough for John to make his way through into the audience. I’d previously thought this was only possible at arena shows but the madman actually did it and looked metal as hell while doing it. 

Armored Saint’s biggest album March of the Saint was well represented as the band played the title track early on into the set as well as their undisputed biggest hit: ‘Can U Deliver,’ a Judas Priest-inspired bit of 80s NWOBHM carefully put together and interpreted in that early 80s bay area style. This album is something of an underrated masterpiece that doesn’t get the love it so desperately deserves but at least these tracks still get included in the set for the younger people to experience firsthand. 

Armored Saint are a band that never got the credit they deserved, their songwriting and technical proficiency mixed in with their ultra-energised stage show make them an absolute must see. Can Armored Saint deliver a killer live show full of killer heavy metal? Yes, they absolutely can. Expectations were exceeded ten fold. 

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Vocalist Lenny B said of the release: “Bam! The song ‘Children Of Violence’, originally from the first demo EP Chaos Possession from 2010, is one of the band’s earliest creations and holds almost symbolic significance for us and our early companions! Now, it is released exclusively as a live version on AFM Records!

“The Chaos Possession EP is in very few hands and is practically unavailable anywhere. That’s why it was especially important for us to release a fresh version of ‘Children Of Violence’ as a special gift to our loyal fans and supporters!” 

The single is now available on all digital streaming providers here and you can check out the video here at RAMzine.
 
Since their formation in 2007, Dust Bolt has been resolute and ruthless in their pursuit of metal glory over the last 16 years. Childhood friends with a collective passion for metal in all its various forms, the quartet have established themselves as one of Europe’s leading thrash metal bands. Their latest album, Sound & Fury, refines and noisily redefines the band’s sound for a new era.
 
Written during those isolated months of pandemic lockdown, Sound & Fury represents the peak of the band’s creativity and a major leap forward in every department. The first DUST BOLT record to feature new bassist Tom Liebing, alongside Lenny Bruce, guitarist Florian Dehn and drummer Nico Remann, Sound & Fury grew from a long period of self-reflection that began when the world shut down.
 
“Sound & Fury was created during the probably darkest and most difficult time for the band.” Lenny B revealed.”First time in our lives, since we were kids, we were somehow separated from another and the dream we lived together seemed to stopped. It was during the pandemic days when the band even decided to take a break from one another when Flo came up with this beautiful piece of music – not knowing how he would channel and express our feelings, leading to LB putting some Dust Bolt unusual, but heartfelt vocals on it and having Nico introducing a disco beat to a metal song in the end.  We didn’t know what was happening – we just did it.  We did know, there’d be a million voices saying we can’t put this up on a Dust Bolt record. But more than that we knew as long as we stick together, we can do anything the *** we want“. Sound & Fury is a story about friendship, struggle & inner turmoil.
 
Although still rooted in thrash and old-school metal, the new record adds colour and diversity to the band’s sound and can be ordered here.

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Reuniting for the second time under the leadership of guitarist Axel “AJ” Julius with an almost entirely new lineup from their last record, Scanner make their long-awaited return with The Cosmic Race. 

The album opens with ‘The Earth Song’, an Accept-style song that features some fantastic guitar work and sets up an aggressive thrashy tone that permeates through the entire record such as on tracks like ‘Scanner’s Law’. 

The Cosmic Race is very much a throwback record in that it sounds very much like an 80s heavy metal record but with cleaner modern production. There are some absurdly heavy moments sprinkled on tracks like ‘Dance of the Dead’ and the aforementioned ‘Scanners Law’, the former being vaguely reminiscent of Overkill in places. This balances very well with the big bright power metal arena anthems such as ‘Warriors of the Light’ which itself feels like a Helloween track. 

The epic ‘Space Battalion’ is a fairly progressive outing for the band as it shifts from Thrashy riffing to straight-up headbanger riffs complete with fist-pumping vocal lines. There’s a lot of variety in this track which makes it a highlight. 

Efthimios Laonnidis’ vocals are at their best on the final track of the album, ‘The Last and First in Line’. His vocals are powerful throughout the record but it’s on this track that he showcases his Rob Halford-esque range as he hits this lower gruff register before soaring as high as he can go to match the guitar work a la Dissident Aggressor. The vocal break before the guitar solo has so much power and that just adds to the full assault this track offers. 

This isn’t likely to win over new fans of European Power Metal but veterans of the genre will likely connect with the sci-fi concepts and huge power metal posturing. The Cosmic Race is designed for people who like their heavy metal to sound like it did back in the day and there’s nothing wrong with that if that’s what you’re looking for. 

While you’re at it, check out Hypertrace from 1988 and Terminal Earth from 1990, two criminally underrated bits of German power metal that deserve more attention.

The Cosmic Race is available January 12th via Rock of Angels Records

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Damnation’s Hammer was first and there were some problems with the set, perhaps it was due to a short soundcheck which also led to a late start. From a musical standpoint, Damnation’s Hammer are a solid band with a lot of Black Sabbath influence. The slower, more atmospheric moments made for some of the best moments of the set. 

Damnation’s Hammer had an ominous presence and the grim cosmic horror aspects fit the theme of the night really well as everyone playing had an overarching perspective on an infinite, inconceivable universe that is dark and full of terrors. The low growl of “that is not dead which eternal lie, in strange aeons even death may die” was particularly chilling. There’s definitely something interesting and worth investigating further and hopefully their shows with Sacred Reich in August will be an improvement. 

Leeds-based thrashers Cryptic Shift went next and they’re very much a throwback band. Their sound is highly influenced by early 90s death metal, the guitar solos are reminiscent of Trey Azagthoth from Morbid Angel and the songwriting feels like it takes notes from Death when they started writing progressive death metal. 

‘Planetary Hypnosis’ feels like what The Faceless would have written if they had come out in the early 90s but with more of an emphasis on melody and atmosphere than technical proficiency, although there was still plenty of that on display. For those who want a less problematic version of Vektor or a more abrasive Voivod, Cryptic Shift should be on your radar. Despite only releasing one full-length album, they’re going to become a big deal in the prog metal scene. 

Voivod finally took to the stage as they blasted through ‘Thrashing Rage’, a song that felt like a bridging point between Hawkwind and Motorhead with all the weirdness that only Voivod could bring. Some of the best material in Voivod’s back catalogue comes from the modern albums, Obsolete Beings has this youthful growl working in tandem with a bizarre vocal performance from Snake, who could be one of the most unique frontmen in Thrash. Snake prowled around the stars while randomly flailing and making some genuinely harrowing faces, some of which resembled Tor Johnson in Plan 9 From Outer Space, hopefully, Snake will take that as the compliment it was intended to be. 

The jazzy groove of ‘Synchro Anarchy’ is really infectious and showcases a tight rhythm section, the oddball jazz-inspired drumming mixed in with the prominent twangy bass riffing and the dissonant guitar work are Voivod trademarks that have helped establish them as a household name among fans of weirdo metal over the past 40 years. The most interesting parts of the set were Snake’s musings on each song throughout the set, they gave a historical context to each track and gave a closer insight into what Voivod has become over the years with its occasionally shifting lineup. 

Voivod’s set is meticulously designed for die-hard fans with incredibly deep cuts like ‘Rise’ and ‘Rebel Robot’ making appearances on the setlist as well as tracks that have very rarely, if ever, been played live like the punk/funk groove of Nuage Fractal and the set closer ‘Fix My Heart’ which has been beloved by Voivod fans and been requested for years and it was well worth the wait. ‘Macrosolutions to Megaproblems’ was an absolute highlight, it’s a perfect concoction of every whacky trick in their arsenal and it also showcases the biggest reason why they didn’t become massive; they’re too weird to sell out arenas, too rare to play basement shows. 

Voivod are fully aware of their prog appeal taking precedence over the thrash aspect which Snake commented on before playing ‘Pre Ignition’, a song that I can only describe as anxiety-inducing. The constant shifting tones and sharp stabbing guitar work from Chewy, who fits the band like a glove, make it an acquired taste that takes some time to get used to but ends up being a really rewarding experience. 

While it’s clear from all the branding and the anecdotes that it’s a deep cuts tour, there’s still some disappointment in not hearing legendary tracks like ‘Nothingface’, ‘Tribal Convictions’ and their cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘Astronomy Domine’ which may actually be better than the original (fight me). Despite some of the omissions, it’s amazing to see a band have such longevity and the ability to pull from such a deep and interesting back catalogue to make a setlist that can still impress newcomers and satisfy the old guard.

Voivod are no strangers to the UK with sightings occurring as early as the mid-80s. With any luck, they will return from whatever obscure location they reside in this massive and confusing universe we claim to reside in despite understanding very little of. For the uninitiated, tonight was an eye-opening experience but it’s entirely subjective whether or not you could look at it without losing your mind…

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Opening with the title track, ‘Scorched’ has a similar tone to most of the previous records; It’s fast, it’s melodic, it’s pissed off and it’s Thrash. There are very few deviations from the classic sound and little experimentation but after being together for almost 40 years, there’s no need for it. It would be incredibly jarring to hear Overkill do anything but 0 to 60 thrash like the Know her Name or the groovy Wicked Place. 

Overkill have always been lauded for their production as some other bands in the Thrash scene have a habit of burying the bass in the mix (you know who I’m referring to) but DD Verni always has moments to shine, ‘The Surgeon’ and ‘Wicked Place’ prominently feature that infectious bed spring rattle he’s become renowned for. 

Scorched has an especially moody tone, there’s a dark brooding atmosphere that permeates through the record and that adds a great sense of buildup and payoff at times, ‘Twist of the Wick’ has a folk tinge to it and ‘Fever’ starts out like a ballad with an Overkill twist, similar to what you might hear on ‘Years of Decay’. 

Scorched closes with ‘Bag o Bones’ and this is sure to be an absolute rager live. It’s a “metal dance craze” song in the same vein as ‘Toxic Waltz’ by Exodus and the groove is so tight and Blitz still sounds like he’s spitting acid in the best way possible. Overkill have always had a great sense of groove in between the faster tracks and Scorched is no exception. 

The majority of legacy Thrash acts have cracked the code and mastered their sound and Overkill is a prime example. if you’ve enjoyed anything from Overkill since 2008’s Ironbound then this is for you, it’s not a groundbreaking record and it doesn’t do much to change their formula but it’s already a damn good formula and that’s all they need.

Scorched is out now via Nuclear Blast.

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On Friday, The Ronnie James Dio stage adds doom metal outfit Witchsorrow, UK locals Wytch Hazel and Hate, a blackened death metal band from Poland. Woking-based Employed to Serve and Royal Republic will take to the Ronnie James Dio Stage on Saturday and blackened/doom/proggers Tribulation complete the Sunday line-up.

The Sophie Lancaster stage also has plenty of variety when it comes to new additions including Friday headliners doom legends Candlemass, who will be replacing Whitechapel who unfortunately had to drop out. Friday will also feature Lancashire death metal band Bloodyard, Manc black/crust outfit Wolfbastard, Nu-Metalcore boys in Black Coast, Russian Turbo Polka metalers Russkaja whom could be making their very last appearances in the UK this year, Portuguese extremists Gaerea and Canadian power metal Striker. Finally, Skin Failure will take the final slot on Saturday with their brand of thrash/hardcore.

Bloodstock Open Air will take place on August 10th-13th and will include the likes of Megadeth, Killswitch Engage, Meshuggah, In Flames, Triptykon, Devildriver as well as Viking battle reenactments and so much more on-site entertainment to come. Tickets are still available as well as monthly payment plans for a limited time at this link.

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