WRECK-DEFY "Remnants of Pain"

WRECK-DEFY

"Remnants of Pain"

For a hitherto unknown thrash band with their first record out on Finland's Inverse Records, WRECK-DEFY boasts some heavy hitters in its lineup. Vocalist Aaron Randall previously sang lead for ANNIHILATOR, bassist Greg Christian worked with TESTAMENT during their glory years and drummer Alex Marquez pounded skins for MALEVOLENT CREATION, EVILDEAD and others. That's some thrash metal star power right there. They've teamed up with Canadian shredder Matt Hanchuck to create WRECK-DEFY and have issued a perfectly serviceable thrash metal album.

ANNIHILATOR and TESTAMENT really are the touchstones for the band, as they greatly resemble those two seminal acts. Their thrash is pretty much in the Bay Area style, capable of fierce speed-rippers and more melodic, catchy tunes. I can't say they reach the heights of their inspiration but they know what they are doing. They are at their best with pure hammerdown thrashers like "Killing The Children" and "Blackened Cloth", but also are surprisingly good with the slower melodic cuts like "Looking Back" and "The Divide". Randall is great on vocals, with a nasal snarl that's capable of withering scorn but also some nuances. WRECK-DEFY sometimes has some songwriting trouble with songs that seem to go longer than they should or which start strong but end up flailing around a bit..."18 Oz. of Chrome" and "Angels and Demons" were two which really needed some editing.

But "Remnants of Pain" is generally a solid thrash metal album to listen to, very much in a time-honored and traditional style. This might be hard to find due to the unusual label, but recommended to TESTAMENT and ANNIHILATOR fans.

INVERSE RECORDS

WRECK-DEFY