Oh, glorious thrash! When done right it slays beyond all and in the case of Infraktor, they do it oh so right! Exhaust, the debut from these Portuguese metallers, is an expertly crafted lesson in how to thrash in the 21st Century and easily sits up there with the latest and greatest from some of the founding fathers of the genre.
“Blood of the Weak” roars out of the gate in much the same way that “More Than Meets The Eye” did at the start of Testament’s comeback album with the classic lineup in 2008 but, unlike the Bay Area legends, Infraktor don’t have a legacy to rely on which makes the intent so much more potent. Did we say potent? Well, look no further than “Son of a Butcher” which follows and just grinds with blast beats to start courtesy of Francisco Martins and Hugo Silva’s fierce growl paired with these killer solos reminiscent of the best of the best from the ’80’s.
“Confront” comes at you like a freight train and brings some groove to the proceedings along with some twin guitar action from Carlos Almeida and Ricardo Martins and a brutal breakdown then “Speech of Deceit” rivals some of Lamb Of God’s best with its’ unbridled intensity. Unlike D. Randall Blythe’s shriek, though, Silva differentiate’s with a truly vicious snarl.
“Ferocious Intent” is pretty goddamn ferocious through and through and really captures that Demonic-era Testament feel perfectly. Speaking of the Bay Area thrashers, the “Outro” that drops next to close out the debut really embraces those perfect endings of yore.
Exhaust is out via Rastilho Metal Records on March 2nd. You can pre-order your copy by clicking here or here. For more on the band, head on over to this location.