review: Terrifier

Terrifier

Weapons of Thrash Destruction

Test Your Metal

release: 20 January 2017

"I'm sick and tired of people saying that we put out 11 albums that sound exactly the same. In fact, we've put out 12 albums that sound exactly the same."--Angus Young, 2000.

Oh, I can hear the complaining now. "Terrifier is a good thrash band, but the new album is eight songs that sound exactly the same." Well, look it, you should have stopped at the part, "Terrifier is a good thrash band," and leave it at that. That's all that they care about, really. They are fast, loud and they figure out how to make a lot of noise. A lot. Mucho. Terrifier makes all the songs fast thrash and if someone accuses them of writing the same song, what will they say? "Thank you!" What else could they say? This is what they do and this is what they are. I mean, c'mon, just look at the title of the album. You see?

Terrifier is not very good at multitasking, but they are compulsive about the one task that they have set for themselves: thrash. Their album is for thrash fanatics, not for people who like "some thrash, here and there." Terrifier plays super tight, thrash with blasting in some places, crazy street yelling, and shredding solos. That's what they do on the first song and it's what they do on the next song, and the one after that. All day, every day. They don't have songs with accordions and flutes and they don't have keyboards and they don't think it's funny to dress up and wear exotic skirts. It's denim and leather, and that's it.

They drink beer, they burp in public, curse like sailors and they dropped out of high school. They can't read or write very well, but oh boy, they can thrash like a bat out of hell. They get arrested a lot, get fired from their day jobs a lot, but it doesn't matter because it's not their life mission to be the employee of the month. The objective is clear: play fast thrash, show the world that they can play fast and can shred like nobody's business (They even have a non-song track called "Riders of Doom" and it's a quick little ditty of guitar melody and shredding, just for fun and giggles). Once you listen, there won't be an argument from you. They will convince you, and if they do not, it's probably because you are not an ultra devoted zealot for thrash. It's not a crime to dislike thrash (wait, it's not?!), but cynics, skeptics and pessimists better get out of the way of this Canadian shredding alley machine.

The guitar tone is the quintessential, classic-style razor-sharp sound, and speed is not a big game in town, it is the only game in town. Approach this music like you would approach a mosh pit. This is what thrash is. Their name is Terrifier and they play thrash like giants, walking with their heads held high, strutting their stuff.

You gotta strut like you own the place.

facebook.com/TerrifierThrashers

TERRIFIER - REANIMATOR

[review by MMB]