Evil Invaders

There could be many a chapter in the book of thrash metal devoted to the throngs that spilled out of both the U.S. and Germany in the mid-80s, while other lands that had a hand in the goings on of that time were not quite as rich with heroes. If there was one band that really pushed the envelope enough to be really noticeable from the Canadian end of things, most fingers would definitely point the way to Razor, namely their 1985 sophomore plunge into the extreme world of violent pit thrash a la "Evil Invaders". Contrary to popular opinion, the Nordic looking knockoff of The Terminator featured on the cover didn't lose half of the skin off his face from an ongoing chase scene with Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn, but instead from the intense auditory g-force of its content.

Things start off in something of a "Kill Em' All" mode with a fading in instrumental assault on the ears replete with free time mayhem and bone-rattling turns dubbed "Nowhere Fast", and it sets a rather unique precedent that quickly distinguishes this album from its prime influences, namely Metallica and Slayer. If going by speed and intensity alone, this album definitely leans heavily towards the "Show No Mercy" brand of speed/thrashing complete with plenty of perpetual tremolo riffs and high octane drumming. But particularly on surprisingly older fashioned speeders like "Iron Hammer" there is a healthy dose of Motorhead influences thrown in, namely a principle riff set and gruff vocal approach out of Stace "Sheepdog" McLaren particularly remind of "Iron Fist".

Interestingly enough, Sheepdog's vocal approach proves to be one of the chief elements in pushing an otherwise rough and modestly produced thrasher into the stratosphere. He tends to resemble a slightly drunker and sloppier version of James Hetfield circa "Ride The Lightning", though also possessing a truly vile and glass shattering banshee wail that is employed fairly often, upstaging even Araya in terms of intensity and finding itself in a similar space that was occupied by Blitz Ellsworth during his most intense moments on "Feel The Fire". This isn't to say that the guitar work of Dave Carlo is a slouch behind Razor's vocal impresario, though his soloing style tends to fall back on an earlier, post-NWOBHM approach that isn't quite as flashy as Hammett or as chaotic as King, though clear elements of both are being employed.

Like with any classic album, it's fairly easy to just get sucked in by the overall experience of the album and not really bother picking apart any of the individual songs, yet at times there are very divergent influences that interplay with each other quite auspiciously. Much of the album is relegated to warp speed cruisers after the mold of "Tortured Skull" and "Legacy Of Doom" where the riff work tends to be more of a blur and it gets difficult to keep one's head attached at the neck. However, there are occasional respites on a few of these songs before the vertebrae destruction continues, including a nice Iron Maiden inspired mid-tempo riff set on "Evil Invaders" and a slightly slower swinging riff set on "Instant Death". The person who seems relegated to supporting member through much of this thrill ride is bassist Mike Campagnolo, who occasionally get some time in the sun, but opts for a less flashy approach than that of Cliff Burton while taking some of his timbre ideas from him simultaneously.

Despite it's somewhat low-fidelity production character, which isn't really all that more raw than the Overkill debut, this marks a fairly significant shift away from the early speed metal character that typified the earlier 80s, to almost the same degree that Slayer's "Hell Awaits" did, though tonally speaking this doesn't go so far as to flirt with early death metal the way said album did, let alone their fellow Canadians' Infernal Majesty's trailblazing debut would. This definitely marks a clear evolution that paved the way for the wild intensity that came in the next year with Dark Angel, Kreator, Destruction and Slayer's seminal offerings, but more importantly, it's a killer slab of metal that should be in the collection of any and all self-respecting thrash fanatics, young and old alike.