I've seen you mention them before but I never got around to them. That's definitely not bad. Quite possibly right up my alley.

Dude that's cool as hell. Modern death thrash that doesn't take itself too seriously but isn't cartoonish thrashcore shit.

Wolf are pretty much the greatest NWOBHM band that ever came out of Sweden in the mid-nineties. They worship at the altar of early Maiden and Grim Reaper and care not for the the decades since. They obviously don't take themselves too seriously with songs about demons, murderers, black magic, and even one about a drunk driving teenage girl on a horrific path of death and destruction gloriously titled "Steel-Winged Savage Reaper", but retro though they may be these are no self-consciously ironic hipsters or thrash revival cretins. They approach their music with a passion that can't be faked and that transcends the silliness.

It might actually be argued that they don't quite belong here. Even if they're not particularly original they are a well-oiled machine that bleeds energy and riffs like a stuck pig. Their singer is none-more NWOBHM but his soaring vocals that can take on an aggressive bite (though never a growl or a scream) at a moment's notice exude a charisma that set Wolf head-and-shoulders above the competition. And the old school low browness can't hide a surprising grasp of subtlety, songcraft, and drama that brings alive songs that might otherwise be dismissed as merely disposable pap. In fact at times they can slow down their rapid-fire assault just a tad and channel an eerie theatricality that reveals a heavy Merciful Fate influence that they pull off like it was easy. Even the singer's style is indebted to King Diamond.

But any class is always secondary to the cheesey fun. These guys seek no awards and no accolades. The first thing on their agenda is to kick ass and the last is to take some names. Bitchin'.

Yet another band who leave subtlety beaten and bloody in a dirty alley. Wehrmacht are as much a hardcore band as a thrash band, which makes them thrashcore and NOT crossover, since crossover refers specifically to hardcore punk bands that crossover to making thrash metal and not just any thrash metal band that has a noticable hardcore punk influence. All thrash has hardcore influences. It's the difference between traditional heavy metal and thrash in the first place. Get it right, tricks.

Anywho, Wehrmacht are thrashcore but they play at such a ridiculous pace that they might even be considered grindcore much of the time. Nothing pretty here, just fast 'n' furious, heads down, aggressive metal that requires at least one keg of beer and a living room full of meathead friends in denim vest to truly appreciate. With there heavily tongue-in-cheek lyrics about shark attacks for one (any album that starts off with a guitar version of the Jaws theme is sure to be an intellectual smorgasbord) they are one of the spiritual predecessors of the modern thrash revival. Unlike those bands Wehrmacht are an actual old school band, and for whatever reason that makes all the difference. They're concerned with asskicking and a good time, whereas bands like Gama Bomb are concerned soley with self-consciously retro schtick...and having a good time.

Whatever. Wehmacht are dirty and unoriginal and all their songs sound the same. So if you're not a thrash fanatic then these morons are not for you. But if you are then they are a delightful romp that aren't necessarily essential, but they are fun nonetheless.

What happened to this thread?

The Batlord hasn't been around for almost like a week, last I heard he was addicted to playing a fantasy PC game that a friend had lent him. He's also the kind of guy that can only focus on one thing at a time, so I'm guessing he's off hunting in the countryside and caves for goblins.

Hope he makes it back for Metal Month! :(

Don't know if I'm resurrecting this or just randomly posting but I felt like talking about a band I've just listened to for the first time...

Exciter: Heavy Metal Maniac - 1983

Dude, just look at that cover. You already know what you're going to get with that cover: supreme goodness. Or supreme awfulness. Either one. And depending on whether or not you like ****ty, dated, 1980's speed metal then pick one and that's exactly what you get. From a creative standpoint this is garbage. It's basically just Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Motorhead (I'm 99.9% sure they even completely lifted the drum intro from "Overkill" for "Under Attack") and sped it up further. If that sounds dull and/or stupid, then you are correct, but if you could give a **** about things like "class" or "creativity" then this is as fantastic as you could hope for. The only thing this band really seems to have going for them is energy, but they have that in bags and bags, and even though most of the songs sound the same and all go by in a blur, they all make you want to do everything you're already doing a lot faster than normal. Go grocery shopping with this on your iPod and you may just get to the checkout counter and find that you've left a blood trail going back to the frozen food section.

*coughs loudly and gets troubles breathing*

What? How can they be "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" when they're from Sweden, and came around fifteen years after the peak of the movement? Sounds weird to me (though I may have misunderstood at some point).

Because they sound like an NWOBHM band. Whatever you call them they're fantastic.

Wow, Batlord. This thread is a gold mine of awesome metal.