Ostbunker

Now, I wasn't expecting anything groundbreaking when listening to this demo. I mean, e-note rhythm this, and fast and aggressive riffs that, la-tee-dah, but sometimes, the so-called "generic thrash metal" can be really well played to the point that it doesn't sound so cliched like Warbringer's "War Without End". The German thrash band Panzer Squad is proof of this, and in their demo "Ostbunker", they deliver some excellent, if not obvious, thrash.

The main reason why I'm not throwing this demo into the "stale generic crap" category is 'cos Panzer Squad has a far bigger variety in terms of tempos than a lot of retro thrash bands that came before them. Sometimes, like in "Together Thrash", we get a time signature that is double-timed during each verse and during the solo. Sometimes there can be a little bit of a complex drumbeat here and there, like in "Burning the World", where the cymbal is hit like a drumroll before the start of each new measure. This shows that the band is a step ahead of many thrash bands formed in recent years, despite being a little late in the game. The vocalist isn't anything super-spectacular, for he's got that growling, guttural voice that borderlines death metal vocals. Sometimes he sounds more high pitched and gruff, much like Snake in early Voivod.

As for the guitars, I don't need to mention the e-note rhythm, and songs such as "Law of Pride" have somewhat generic riffs that, chances are, you've probably heard before. However, there is a riff in "Law of Pride" that is also a tad bit more difficult to play than what most retro thrash bands would come up with, especially if you take into account the fact that that particular riff is played really fast with an e-note chugging twice between other notes. The guitar solos, though, are really nothing special. They're just a flurry of arpeggios, scales and rapidly-played individual notes, definitely something to expect when listening to a thrash metal band formed in the 21st century.

Panzer Squad isn't really a bad thrash metal band. In fact, I actually quite enjoyed it. Sure, it's somewhat bland when compared to much better and more well-known bands, but hey at least they actually did a little better than usual. It's not like they just had one speedy time signature and riffs that all sounded the same, then it would be awful.

Thrash metal is something that seems to be becoming more and more of a rarity. Maybe it's just me, but the genre doesn't seem to be as popular as it used to be. While momentarily the mainstream thing, everyone seems to have jumped ship and switched newer genres nowadays. This isn't great news for bands such as Panzer Squad, because it means that the chance of them ever becoming superstars in the world of metal are far slimmer than they were for the bands that make up the Big Four.

While it's sad to say that, I have to say that I still enjoy a good bit of thrash. This demo definitely falls into that category, and while it might not be anything revolutionary there's never anything bad about hearing the fast and thick riffs backed with some very noticeable snare. The bass is quite obviously present here, which makes a nice change from the large majority of metal bands. The solo work is also quite good, even if it doesn't reach Dave Mustaine quality. Heck, this is the band's first demo, of course it doesn't reach that height.

So while it's nothing new, there isn't really anything bad to say about this. Some of the riffs sound almost out of tune, but at the same time it doesn't actually sound that bad. Vocals are as unoriginal as everything else, but I've heard a lot worse. Aside from the fact that the work has obviously been tried and tested, there isn't anything negative to say about it. Production could maybe be better, but once again I have to point out that this is a demo. Recording quality will hopefully be better on their first EP or full-length.

And that's pretty much it. None of the individual tracks really stand out because they're playing something that's been done to death (and all of a sudden I'm starting to see why thrash is less common than it once was), but nothing's shite either. I look forward to their first proper release.