MasterRiff

From Israel comes this excellent three song demo that reminds us that not all quality thrash metal was created in the 1980s. This demo features some great riff work that propels the songs forward and along with the drums creates some nice mosh-worthy grooves. The vocals are melodic, mid-ranged with some high backing harmonies, and very well done overall. The vocal melodies are as memorable as the riff work. I can’t make out all the lyrics but some of them seem to deal with terrorism, which makes sense coming from their part of the world. The guitar solos are stylish and complement the songs nicely. Production is well-done and professional, especially for a demo. None of the songs are extremely fast or technical but there is a good degree of technical ability displayed here as well as enough energy to keep the songs moving nicely. I get a bit of a Megadeth vibe here overall although there are no particular elements I can point to as being derivative in any way.

I subtracted some points over a few issues. First of all, let me be clear that I don't believe any album is perfect. I believe there is always room for improvement for musicians to strive for and my rating reflects that belief. The biggest obvious shortcoming of this demo is that it’s only 3 songs. It’s one thing to turn out a good demo and another to hold a seasoned metal veteran’s attention for 40 minutes or so. Also, as catchy and well-written and the riffs, solos, and vocals are, I still feel like there is some room for improvement before it can become timeless thrash metal along with the greats.

Unfortunately, the band appears to have dissolved so there will be no full-length on the horizon but this demo is still worth seeking out if you have worn out all your 80s thrash classics and need a new fix.