Arkayic Revolt - Death's River

These Canadian Thrasher’s were an unknown entity to me, and this debut full length album has given me the kick in the butt I needed in reference to the sometimes stale thrash metal genre of late. What a release this is, I have to say, this slapped me senseless from the opening tune ‘Blood Will Follow Blood’ to the closing title track, brandishing it’s melody, its unrelenting riff barrage, a perfect package all in all. Darryl Fletcher has a gruff traditional thrash tone with the ability to hold a good tune, often quite rare, but a vocalist in my mind. Comparable bands roll of the tongue like Testament, Forbidden, Exodus, Heathen, it is all here. The crunch, the arrangements, the lyrical content, everything is perfect, in fact I find it hard to pick out stand alone tunes on this disc, all ten tracks make you put on your hi tops, squeeze into those drainpipe jeans and mosh around like a person “possessed to skate” (too easy to put in that pun!). After this stunning release, budding timekeepers need apply as they are now unfortunately without a drummer at the time I write my scribble. Musicianship and class arrangements feature heavily, ‘Wrath Of Poseidon’, and ‘Operation Overlord’ both bring these highly accomplishes skills right up in your face.

Not since I heard UK Thrashers Pitiful Reign (now label mates), Savage Messiah and Mutant have I been so enthralled and excited by a relatively new thrash band. ‘Death’s River’ is any traditional thrashers delight, one hell of a release from one hell of a band, in short and basically, as Uncle Benny Chan said in Lethal Weapon 4 in the dentist chair, “bloody marvellous”!

1. Blood Will Follow Blood
2. From Hell
3. Cohesive Disembodiment
4. Operation Overlord
5. Feed Them Fire
6. Deadline
7. Wrath Of Poseidon
8. Dig Your Own Grave
9. Beware The Nothing
10. Death’s River


Punishment 18 Records
Reviewer: twansibon
Jul 17, 2010
Next review: Arise - The Reckoning

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