Call Down the Thunder

Nihilism is the rejection of established laws and institutions, so it's at least fitting to see the institutions of reverb and a separate rhythm guitar are rejected by Nihilist in their sophomore album Call Down the Thunder. Like their subsequent album Blood Portraits, I diagnose Call Down the Thunder with acute dystrophy brought on by an over-reliance on punk. Although here there's an attempt to incorporate new concepts while maintaining fidelity with the barely-breathing genre of early-00's thrash metal, and thus they deserve more credit than some of thrash metal's biggest names at this time. So yeah. This is better than St. Anger and God Hates Us All. Not quite as impressive when I put it that way.

The lack of a separate rhythm guitarist is noticeable in all tracks but particularly in their cover of Judas Priest's 'Freewheel Burning' (as most listeners have a frame of reference for that). Nihilist's guitarist Joe Walker simply can't do the work of two men. Tracks sound thin and are outmuscled by Defenders of the Faith, an album over thirty years older. The extent of this becomes impossible to ignore during the riffs and chorus of 'The Assault'. Where's the beef?

For what it's worth, Walker is a talented guitarist when he feels like being one. 'Call Down the Thunder' is an excellent opening track, showcasing a handful of solos, catchy riffs taking cues from classic rock 'n' roll, and a dextrous breakdown at around 1:30. Loren Tipton also supplies a good bassline here and throughout the rest of the album, which not only adds a portion of missing power to these songs but also features a lot of originality of his own. His vocals can manage some impressive Halford-inspired highs but, like I said in my earlier Nihilist review, the strength and passion is just not there. This is one of the few instances I'd say attempting a more Grimmet-era Onslaught style would've vastly improved this album.

'American Plague' is one of the more enjoyable tracks, boasting some of Nihilist's best qualities. A quirky bass breakdown, catchy, foot-bouncing riffs, imaginative and talented double-bass patterns from drummer Sean Elg, and even some good energy from Tipton. I found the line in the chorus "To succeed in this life, you gotta have ballzzz" particularly satisfying. 'Destroyer' is another track I can recommend for the same reasons. Serving as a jarring juxtaposition from these kinetic tracks are 'Hessian Mercenary' and 'Devastator', which you'd think would be more intense than 'Destroyer' based purely on the name, but you'd be wrong. Serving as the albums' slower tracks, 'Hessian Mercenary' in particular sounds like none of the bandmembers are enjoying playing it. This almost always results in no one enjoying listening to it.

But overall, you might be surprised to hear I like Nihilist. I enjoy listening to Call Down the Thunder. Of course, from a critical standpoint I'll still be harsh, because some tracks sound rushed and others utterly half-assed, and anyone out there wondering if they should buy this album ought to know that kind of thing. But the final track 'Vengeance is Mine' really demonstrates the sheer potential of Nihilist, boasting a melodic, even technical intro that just plain works. All bandmembers are competent and the album is opened and closed with damn good guitar solos. I stand by what I said: there are vital components to Call Down the Thunder MIA, but I'll still recommend it for being more substantial than Blood Portraits and a lot more creative.

Standout tracks:
Vengeance is Mine, American Plague

Related listening:
Messerschmitt - No Dread to Kill
Savagery - Thrash is Here