Built for Mayhem

Thrash is the universal language of malcontents, it knows no boundaries nor jurisdiction, and those whom might suggest otherwise need look no further than the impressive showing of bands outside of the sub-genre's original American and European stomping grounds. Indeed, as the years of the thrash metal revival rage on to its second decade, Asia is fast becoming the continent to watch for dynamic new bands looking to take on the style and expand its horizons. One quartet of young amateurs hailing from Meghalaya, Indian known as Eternal Scorn are primed to accomplish just that with an impressive novella of textbook Bay Area-inspired aggression with a few interesting curveballs dubbed Built For Mayhem.

Sporting the depiction of what is most likely inter-tribal conflict in their homeland with a ghoulish politician waving a blood red flag as he eggs on the carnage, this outfit showcases in five compact anthems just how dark things when reality brings youthful idealism to a state of utter cynicism. Leading the sonic charge is a blistering vocal display out of front man Manfred Majaw that is all but a perfect dead-ringer for Death Angel's own Mark Osegueda, and the surrounding auditory tower of sound erect by guitarist Solomon Ferdy Pathaw and the rhythm section rounded out in drummer Samson Balajied Pathaw and brother bassist Aaron Rilang Syiemlieh bears a strong similarity to the raw and vital thrash extravaganza that was said band's seminal debut The Ultra-Violence.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this relatively straightforward EP is how well it flows together as a cohesive whole. Though consisting of five proper songs that cook with the best of them, two haunting atmospheric acoustic instrumentals bookend this baby and add an element of melancholy and fatalism into the equation, almost as if this fold of young musical protestors have injected a sense of hopelessness more befitting of someone much older. The result of this softer expression with the rapid-paced, crushing thrash anthems they surround creates a level of tension that is almost jarring. Individually the songs prove as ambitious as they are explosive, with the busy riff machine "Betrayed Sycophant" and the Anthrax-like mid-paced crunch of "Built For Mayhem" being the strongest, though one would definitely be remiss to deny the potency of a kinetic banger like "Plaster Saint".

Though there is still a growing sea of old school thrash metal projects cropping up to the point of sheer saturation, the scene has yet to truly want for quality despite the general similarity involved. For their part, Eternal Scorn tend to err on the side of upholding the traditions first set down in Northern California back in 1987, though they seem well disposed in taking some cues from the more melodic New York scene and occasionally explore some of the technical elements in the sub-genre that started to crop up towards the close of the 80s. Manfred's ripping vocal work proves to be the crown jewel of this affair, though the reasonably ambitious and pummeling guitar work that Solomon adds to the equation runs an extremely close second. It'll be interesting to see where this group opts to go with an eventual LP, but as it stands they are poised to take a strong place among thrash metal's newer guard.