Atheist Crusade

“Total panic-attack thrash with crazy high pitched vocals and unbelievably catchy, aggressive, fast, killer fucking riffs,” claimed Stormspell Records, and damnit they are right! If that quote and the killer artwork didn’t get your attention…then what the hell does!?

Atheist Crusade is 8 tracks, nearing 50 minutes, of pure frantic technical thrash by this Swedish band on their sophomore album. “Cross of Nero” starts the album with a clean electric guitar intro that quickly switches over to the classic guitar chugging we all know and love. It’s a great way to get you into the album and gives you a small preview of what is to come, but without giving away too much. We then go into my personal favorite of the album, “Thrashark.” This song gives the very definition of panic-attack thrash with its shredding riffs, insanely fast drumming, and vocalist Mika Eronen’s vocals speeding and soaring to insanely high pitches.

“Immaculate Dead” is the 3rd track and there is nothing special about this song, a generic thrash track, but still good. The next 2 tracks, ” Sanity's Eclipse/Steel of the Missionary” and “Atheist Crusade,” both reach over 8 and a half minutes and show the band in their more progressive mood but not without their hyperspeed technical thrash assault. We then launch into “Thrash Metal Avenger” and it is everything thrash is and should be. After thrashing it up, Immaculate, show their progressive side once again with a cover of the Fates Warning Song, “The Apparition.” This song was an excellent choice for a cover song on this album as it fits in perfectly with the rest of the songs. It’s my second favorite song on Atheist Crusade.

The 8th and final track is the maximum thrash assault, “Gutterthrash.” It will make you punch a hole in the wall and destroy everything in sight. Even when you’re lying on the floor and your soul thrashed out of you, you’ll want to get up and listen to this album again and again.

If you’re a fan of Realm or Toxik, then this album is a must in your collection. Even if you are not a fan of Realm or Toxik, you still must give this album a listen. It’s total fucking thrash at its finest and the technicality will blow you out of the water and make you question your own musical abilities. Atheist Crusade is an album to be considered as one of the best of 2010.

-Mike Mendyk
Steel & Fire Records
www.steelandfirerecords.webs.com