Wolfpack Unleashed

There’s no shortage of retro thrash lately, and with bands like Fueled by Fire handling the humorous angle and Trivium making it friendly for the kids of today, it’s nice to see a band like Austria’s Wolfpack Unleashed doing it up right on their debut album. And by right, I mean it sounds a lot like Testament. The vocal lines are pure Chuck Billy, while the mid-to-fast tempos also show these guys practice what they preach, which in this case is how to thrash till freakin’ death. It’s a bit monotonous, and at 45 minutes gets old, but until that new Testament disc comes out (in 2015 or so), this will do just fine. Check out the killer riffs in "Killing Fields” or the chorus of "Religion of Control” for a great example of perfect, punchy and catchy thrash metal. (Vocalist/bassist Gunther Wirth even says "Thrash!” before one particularly denim-riffic breakdown.) The vocals can grate, as on "Eroica,” but taken in small doses, this one will satisfy those thrash cravings.