Band:	ThermiT
Album:	Encephalopathy
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	October 03, 2013
Guest review by:	Mattybu

01. Zombie Lover
02. Now You See
03. Second
04. Other Man
05. Holy Bomb
06. Thermitallica

Many people are familiar with the storied history of thrash metal, its beginnings with groups like Metallica and Slayer, and further outreach to bands like Dark Angel that spent a good amount of time tearing up the West Coast. ThermiT is an up and coming group from (of all places) Poland, who wants to remind you through their music that the thrash those guys churned out back in the day was some great stuff.

Admittedly, the heavy influence of those other bands can be a little overwhelming at times when listening to the Encephalopathy EP. From the opening moments of "Zombie Lover" it's clear they have taken a page out of the Dark Angel handbook, and the medley song "Thermitallica" which combines a "highlight reel" of sorts of another band that some metalheads might be familiar with, Metallica.

However, what saves this EP and makes it a more enjoyable overall experience is that the effect of the influence isn't limited and the songs don't stagnate. "Zombie Lover" is a good example of what I mean by this - it begins with some straightforward, down and dirty thrash riffing, but part way through goes in a bombastic, more NWOBHM influenced direction, with soaring vocals and more melodic leads. Mind you, the high notes certainly don't have as strong of an effect as the legends like Halford or King Diamond, but the change of pace helps keep the songs a bit more interesting.

There's obviously enough talent among the band members to keep a fast pace and the songwriting is solid. Encephalopathy is pretty well-produced too; the guitars have some decent crunch and the mix is balanced. The vibe of the lyrics and music is fairly lighthearted too, which makes for an accessible listen. However, despite all these factors, it just felt like this EP was missing something. Everything is proficiently done, but I don't think it's special enough to warrant much replay value outside of a few good riff moments. Nevertheless, not a bad start for ThermiT. Hopefully they can continue to expand their sound and become a little more unique, as opposed to a complete throwback.