Natur

Earache Records – you just kind of shrug your shoulders, don't you? Here, the lil' label that kind of could – sometimes, maybe – brings yet another up-and-coming thrash and/or trad metal band to the attention of the longhair masses, Natur being way more trad than thrash, but not without some NYC thrash tendencies. The best thing about Head of Death is that it reminds me how great old-school metal was when it combined thrash riffing with trad tempos and vocal styles, and a healthy dose of NWOBHM worship thrown in as well. Here, Natur unfortunately also take some bad cues from their forefathers: not knowing when to end the songs, an overbearing sense of drama. I love it when the singer laughs in the title track, which opens the album; I don't love the songs that put me to sleep with either a lack of dynamics or a shift in speeds that's too much, too soon. I smell promise all over this young band, although this full-length only hints at it.