Rumpelstiltskin Grinder

For their third full-length, Philadelphia funny-guy thrashers Rumpelstiltskin Grinder have moved off of Relapse and switched over to Candlelight, and they've also taken another step in establishing themselves as a damn good thrash band. Here, they take the super-tight, German-influenced thrash attack of their previous output and add in some amusing elements to keep the party going. For example, "Nightworms" is a punk-ish black metal song. But mainly it's full-on Kreator worship, an American version of Teutonic thrash, as songs like opener "Those Who Are Unseen" and the title track prove. The former showing the blazing-fast side of overseas thrash, while the latter demonstrates the mid-tempo, chugging, anthemic side. And the switch from double-time to fast time at the start of the perfectly titled "Fucking Wild" is just hysterical ― like, "crank the double bass, go, now!" While it doesn't hold up to what Kreator are releasing these days, albums like Ghostmaker prove these guys would be the perfect opening act for some thrash legends should the right tour opportunity arise.