For Whose Advantage?

As I said in my review of their Shattered Existence debut, Xentrix have always had a soft spot for Metallica and it showed more than once. They made it into their own form of laid back thrash with some great NWOBHM harmonies leads and harmonies thrown in on their slower songs. Here on ‘For Whose Advantage’ vocalist Chris Astley still has Hetfield’s ghost looking over his shoulder but the music has gotten much more Bay Area influenced.

There’s even a vocal rhythm on ‘Black Embrace’ to which I always continue by shouting ‘A Trial By Fire’. Well, wrong band obviously, but that says enough about the feeling this album gives more than. A lot of New Order-Practice What You Preach era Testament haunting these songs and more than once thrash breaks and hooks reminding me of Evil Dead’s Annihilation Of Civilisation look around the corner. Hell, on some instrumental sections I even get the feeling I’m listening to Defiance (who were Metallica fanboys from the Bay Area, so no wonder) or even Atrophy due to some staccato riffs with gang shouts.

No, this is not a complaint since I have a real soft spot for the eighties Bay Area sound but Xentrix were onto concerning a British thrash touch on their debut which now seems totally lost. This album could definitely have done with more of those great harmonies or catchy choruses.

The album does not feature any real standout tracks but as a whole it’s a nice laid back thrash experience with some excesses. Nothing bad about ‘For Whose Advantage? Nor anything even remotely classic. Just decent.