Vigilante Crusaders

When it comes to the current old school thrash metal revival, and particularly the crossover oriented variety that has been all the rage since 2013, the more unapologetically campy things get, the better. In much the same respect as the revival of exploitation films thanks to the Grindhouse double feature of 2007 courtesy of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, the mission is one over-the-top shock and stimulation, albeit in the form of vertebrae-destroying riffs and subtle as a sledgehammer shouts rather than gratuitous sex and violence. It was perhaps fate itself that dictated a coupling of this approach to metal with the analogous form of cinema as its lyrical focus, though it would be a relatively young band out of Trondheim, Norway in Ghetto Ghouls that would be the vehicle.

Featuring a glorious visual of the principle protagonists from cult 80s exploitation flicks Exterminator 2, MS. 45, and Savage Streets on the cover laying waste to a pack of zombies on the streets of some fictitious city, Vigilante Crusaders brings whole new meaning to the concept of delivering ear-destroying thrash metal with no accounting for subtlety. This sextet includes two larger than life lead vocalists that run the gamut of extreme vocalizations that can function within a mainline to extreme thrash context, while they along with the rest of the fold each sport stage names that include the word ghoul for thematic consistency. The musical content behind the vocal barrage is a fairly standard blend of Bay Area inspired riff madness delivered at break neck speed, drawing obvious comparisons to the linchpin of the style's mid-2010s upsurge Power Trip with the likes of Enforced and the death/thrashing Axeslasher also sharing similarities.

The eight musical vignettes that round out this gritty opus tend to favor the more drawn out songwriting approach contained within the crossover paradigm, employing the familiar template of taking the riff happy stylings of the likes of Exodus and Megadeth, but streamlining them into something a bit closer to the rugged simplicity of D.R.I. and Suicidal Tendencies. Moderate length crushers like the opening foray "Blizzard Of Death", along with the similarly swift and strong "Naked Vengeance" and "Blastfighter" pepper intermitted lead guitar passages above a generally straightforward yet tastefully ornamented flow of sonic carnage. Meanwhile, the sub-3 minute "Dead Behind Bars" could easily have been lifted off a Municipal Waste album and given a brutal upgrade, while the more drawn out "Toxic Crack" and closer "Unspeakable Terror Awaits" take their time to develop from a mid-paced stomp to a full blown explosion of fury.

From a purely stylistic standpoint, this album doesn't succeed in reinventing the wheel, but they definitely manage to put a decidedly twisted and extreme spin on a highly popular style and come out with something that stands out from the armies of D.R.I. and Exodus disciples running around of late. Perhaps one could chalk it up to Norway's unique penchant for putting a darker twist on things relative to the rest of Europe, or just the novelty of delving into the grittier side of 80s cinema for inspiration, but Ghetto Ghouls have definitely carved out a truly impressive niche for those who like their thrash fast, heavy, and loaded with camp. All that is needed now is for Eli Roth to take the initiative of putting these 3 classic exploitation film heroes together as a crime fighting trio for his next film and all will be right with the world.

Originally written for Sonic Perspectives (www.sonicperspectives.com)