Live Polish Assault 2007

Happy as a little kid on Christmas Eve, that’s what I was when I heard that Onslaught was back together. And when I saw them live in Tilburg in February this year, I was absolutely sure: this band was there to stay! On that very same tour, they recorded a show for DVD release. And no need to be subtle: the result is overwhelming.

In front of an ecstatic Polish crowd, the British Thrash quintet teaches any younger band from the genre a lesson in terms of aggression, energy, performance and all the other basics of Thrash Metal. Sy Keeler proves he is one of the best frontmen on this planet, he has the audience wrapped around his finger in no time and his voice has improved over the years. In addition, the band is tight (the small mistakes that rarely occur add a little charm to the whole thing) and the set is comprised from the most killer tracks from the past and three of the best songs from the ‘Killing Peace’ album, which wasn’t released yet at the time this show took place.

When you watch this DVD closely, you can see that Nige Rockett has simplified a few riffs here and there, but they hardly sound any different and when they do, they just sound heavier, which perfectly corresponds with the band’s current philosophy. All the older songs are played in a lower tuning, which may make them sound a little odd in the beginning, but if you don’t like these versions of ‘Let There Be Death’ (sung much better by Keeler nowadays!), ‘Flame Of The Antichrist’, ‘Fight With The Beast’, ‘Shellshock’ and of course ‘Power From Hell’, chances are quite big that you don’t even like Thrash Metal in the first place.

The bonus features are highly enjoyable too. There’s an interview with Nige Rockett and Sy Keeler which is nice, but the real treat is the bonus video footage from the 2005 Thrash Domination tour in Japan. Professional footage recorded with several cameras, sound taken from the PA system and once again a band in optima forma...this is the bonus footage that many, many DVDs need, but never get. And there’s some decent audio from 1987 as well, but I still think the band is better, tighter and more aggressive nowadays.

‘Live Polish Assault 2007’ is just the materialized philosophy of Thrash: no-nonsense, powerful, aggressive, yet friendly. This is the DVD you need to prove to people that Thrash Metal is still alive and well. There is very little doubt that Onslaught-fans will love this DVD. I know I do!