Avenger of blood-Death Brigade

Heavy Artillery
2007

Las Vegas based Avenger of blood are yet another entry in the current “old style thrash revival” that has become so popular as of late. They contributed two tracks to the “Speed Kills…again” compilation a few months ago and those songs showed the band’s potential. They bill themselves as being influenced by German speed metal bands and that’s fairly accurate. The sound on “Death Brigade” is very much comparable to the early of Kreator and Destruction even down to the vocals. I would also there is a slight touch of some non-German influences as well, primarily early Dark Angel and perhaps some “Hell Awaits” era Slayer. The sound of the drums and even the overall slightly under-produced sound has this album sounding like it could have been done in 1985 or 1986. Now I loved a lot of German speed metal bands back then, but I don’t quite see the point of doing something that was already done two decades ago. Avenger of blood are easily more intense and perhaps more focused than some of the other current bands who are attempting to resurrect this form of music. However they still seem to fail to bring much to this sound that separates them from their influences and they don’t really add anything either. I think that’s the hang-up for a lot of fans, the fact that these bands are just copying a style that was rather thoroughly done a long time ago. If these bands don’t add anything new to the sound then there is no real reason to listen to this instead of pulling out old albums by Slayer, Kreator and all the rest. So far none of these new thrash bands have been able to add much of their own. Still Avenger of blood have contributed a very tight album that will at least initially appeal to thrash fans.

http://www.myspace.com/avengerofblood