Band:	Suicidal Angels
Album:	Bloodbath
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	January 2012

01. Bloodbath
02. Moshing Crew
03. Chaos (The Curse Is Burning Inside)
04. Face Of God
05. Morbid Intention To Kill
06. Summoning Of The Dead
07. Legacy Of Pain [feat. Martin van Drunen & Karl Willetts]
08. Torment Payback [feat. Bob Katsionis]
09. Skinning The Undead
10. Bleeding Cries

2011 and thrash got along like those couples you see on Match.com commercials. 2011 would be all rubbing her head on thrash's shoulders, giggling at thrash's flirtatious quip-riffs, they'd give each other those "we have a bunch of inside jokes (about the 80s), and this is reminding us of them" -looks, and they'd flaunt that subtle but unmistakable vibe a pair will get when they're having a lot of sex. It was all there if you really listened carefully.

Got to admit, being repulsed by all of that is understandable, though. Especially if the younger bands of the resurgence already piss you off with their hero worship.

I got totally mushy about the whole affair though. The shit was cute (in a totally metal and, you know, not cute kind of way). So I'm pretty stoked that 2012 already has a revivalist thrash album that continues that trend.

Or, at least kinda does.

Thing is, whereas bands like Havok and Toxic Holocaust really get their hands inky in their approach to the whole reviving business?borrowing from the oldies, but adding freshness with their own stuff?Bloodbath just leaves the impression that Suicidal Angels know how to properly operate a music Xerox machine. The uniqueness and character utilized by some of the other younger groups making thrash nowadays is simply lacking here.

Yeah, their sound is probably distinctive enough to ward off the "copycat" label, but it's distinct in a similar way that Oscar nominated dramas about British royalty are distinct. The riffs themselves are Suicidal Angels' own (congrats guys!), but taken as a whole, Bloodbath feels very heard-it-before. You'll probably just want to throw on albums by the bands these guys are indebted to (probably Slayer and Kreator mostly) before finishing this.

Another gripe? Diversity on this is almost non-existent. Mixing up and toying with pacing, song structures, attitude/atmosphere, and the like is typically essential to prevent boredom, and there's just not enough of that on this. The only track that really sticks out is "Legacy Of Pain".

Nevertheless, the bottom-line for this album can't not include acknowledging that these guys have chops. And if you're still running on the unambiguous, raw sexual oomph of thrash from 2011, and are eager for more, then this is a good way to start dipping your toes back into the blood-filled pool this year. Everything on this sounds tight, it's just lacking in the personality department in the end.