Do or Die

Most the time I've spent on this site, I've been a lurker. Not a reviewer nor an active person in the forums. Just a fellow headbanger, a voracious soul, but nobody important. Today, I decided to break the silence. Bring on the endless pain to the evil invaders of this album's reviews, because I must tell you this: This album - Bay-Area Viking's first LP, "Do Or Die", is just as good as "Darkness Descends", if not better. I know I might get a lot of hate for saying that, but that's my honest opinion. While I love Dark "Fucking" Angel just as much as the next guy, I have to say I like Viking much more.

Let's start out with the overall sound of the band. Vocals are typical for thrash - grunts, growls, screams, and the occasional group shout. Guitars are fuzzy and heavy yet precise & accurate at the same time. Both of the Eriksen brothers show they can shred awesome solos and play thunderous rhythm. The bass is really nothing special, as most the time the guitars kind of drown out the sound, but at times you can hear counter-melodies and hooks being played. Drums are precise & stay on rhythm. Thunderous snare & tom sounds coupled with clangy cymbals & a bass drum from the depths of hell - combine them all & you get an excellent memorable thrash metal record that will be sure to make your ears bleed. They play at varying speeds for each song, but its atypically fast; this is thrash, we aren't expecting any ballads [god FORBID a ballad on any thrash metal record (shame on you, Megadeth!) I’m not saying instrumentals are bad, but ballads are the black (or white) sheep of the family]. Viking live up to their peers by playing loud, aggressive, abrasive and down-right evil thrash. While their playing might not be able to be called "innovative" or necessarily "original", but I can say as a thrash fan across the board - If you like thrash, you will like Viking.

Production is the only place that this album lacks. Other than that, “Do or Die” is a keeper for any thrash fan. If this album had as much money put into it as, say, oh, “Darkness Descends” or “Eternal Nightmare”, then maybe it would have better reviews. But back to what I was originally saying - I really don't understand all of the bad hype this band has gotten. Viking are kick ass, and they prove it on every song on this record. I can't pick a single track that I would say is bad. Every song I like for its own reasons. If you like heavy-as-balls thrash metal, like Dark Angel, Vio-Lence, Razor, Demolition Hammer, and early Kreator, then Viking is definitely a band you would like, and I would definitely suggest buying this album. Yes, it's not anything new in the thrash department, but as it was once said, "Why fix what isn't broken?" Viking are good at what they do - and that's playing loud & extremely heavy metal.

Welcome back, Viking. 92/100