Time to Rise

I've been digging around finding so much great new thrash metal that I can't even remember where I heard about Woslom, but I was surprised by their debut record 'Time to Rise'. Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, the band has been busy in the underground releasing five demos in the last 10 years. But 'Time to Rise' isn't a re-hashing on what they've done in the past, as only 2 of 9 tracks here previously appeared in Woslom's demos.

The album boasts some nice production especially the guitars which have a slightly nasal crunch which gives them that authentic 80s vibe. Given that the album was produced and released by the band, the overall sound is impressive; nothing is too loud or drowned out in the mix. The bass guitar has a noticeable heaviness to it, but does not rise above the guitars. Drum work is well done, but pretty standard for the genre. Thrash metal is all about the guitar riffs for me, and on 'Time to Rise' there are a ton of tremolo/alternate picked thrash goodies that get your head banging. I hear influences in the axe work that range from Iron Maiden's gallop to Dimebag's squealing solos. Vocally you'll hear a mix between Chuck Billy & James Hetfield with the sparse peppering of the singer's accent coming through. Some stand out tracks include "Downfall," which has a cool hammer-on riff to start out, then breaks into an energetic lead and back to some biting staccato riffing. The title track has a very singable chorus and is smothered in guitar solos. I liked the eerie atmosphere that the guitars create during the later half of "The Deep Null." The album's closing track "Beyond Inferno" has a spastic main riff that reminds me of mid-80s Overkill.

The great thing about Woslom is that they draw influence from all the great thrash bands of the past, but have created something fresh, and never sound exactly like their idols. The CD packaging is very well done with printed lyrics for each song and photos of the band. I picked up 'Time to Rise' for less than 10 bucks at CdBaby.com and the download of the album is even less. This album rips from beginning to end!